So, yesterday we made some pesto - today, as promised, I bring you a fun and super-easy way to turn it into some great party snacks. I have made these countless times when hosting a party or dinner and they are a real hassle-free way to provide some snacking.
For this recipe I will not provide exact quantities as it will depend on how many snacks you are after and how much puff pastry you buy (or make!). These puff pastry snacks are simple but effective and I can't remember a single time I have had any leftovers after a party. I will guide you through the process of shaping them below , which is truly child's play! This will leave plenty of time for your to put your make up on - or finish tidying your party room - I guarantee it.
Ingredients:
- ready rolled puff pastry (I used store-bought for this, but you can make it from scratch if you have enough time)
- cherry tomatoes (or plum tomatoes)
- fresh pesto (you can use store-bought if you prefer, but I used my homemade pesto)
- rock sea salt
- dried thyme
- dried oregano
- olive oil to drizzle
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 200C - it is very important to have a hot oven to maximise cooking time.
I am going to talk you through 2 types of puff pastry snacks you can make: a pesto twist and a pesto & tomato square. You can use one sheet of pastry for each type or divide your sheet in half. Or you can decide to only make one type of pastry snack. For reference, I have used one sheet of pastry and divided it between the two types.
If you have not bought ready-rolled puff pastry, roll it out into a large rectangle. Now you need to decide how many snacks and what types you would like to make. I will give you the two separate shaping methods below:
PESTO TWIST: on the short side of the rectangle, using a knife or a cutter (you can use a ravioli cutting wheel for a more playful edge) cut the pastry into strips of 1.5-2cm in width. Make sure to cut an even number of strips as these will need to be paired to make the twist. Before separating them, cut the strips in half so that you have shorter strips and you double the amount. Separate the strips lightly. With a pastry brush, add a good layer of pesto onto the strips. Take 2 strips and pinch the tops together firmly then twist one of the strips around the other. Once you have twisted the entire length, pinch the bottom ends together firmly. Place on an oven tray lined with baking paper and sprinkle with some sea salt and thyme.
TOMATO SQUARE: using a knife or a cutter, cut the pastry sheet into 6-6.5cm squares. With a pastry brush, coat the pastry with the pesto and place a cherry tomato in the middle of the square. Separate the squares from each other and pinch the 4 corners of pastry into the middle, on top of the tomato. You will need to pinch really tightly to ensure these don't pop open during the cooking (a couple of mine always do!). A little water can help with this. Place on an oven tray lined with baking paper; sprinkle some sea salt and oregano on top.
Now that your shapes are ready, drizzle a little olive oil on top and place in the oven for about 15-20 min. Depending on you oven you might need to adjust your cooking time so I would suggest keeping an eye on them. You want them to colour, but not be too dark and crunchy.
TIP: the pesto twists will seem darker because of the pesto, so watch out for them in particular
Some extra tips
If you want to try this recipe with your own homemade pesto, check out my previous post here.