Savoury Star Pastries
Store-bought puff pastry, a piece of good cheese, and a few simple flavourings make these popular snacks a breeze to prepare. They’re great for handing around with drinks, whipping out of the freezer when unexpected guests arrive, and for packaging up with a jar of chutney as festive gifts.
Ingredients
1 pack Paneton puff pastry, defrosted
100g (approx. 1½ cups) finely grated hard cheese (danbo, aged gouda, parmesan, or sharp cheddar are all good options)
2 Tbsp milk
Topping variations:
Spiced
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 Tbsp cumin seeds
Chive & Poppy
4 Tbsp chives, chopped
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
Lemon & Herb
Grated zest of 1 lemon
A sprinkling of Taipa rosemary sea salt
A few sprigs of rosemary, roughly chopped
Dukkah
3-4 Tbsp dukkah
Method
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board until it’s a little thinner, then cut the pastry sheet in half.
Spread the cheese evenly over one sheet, as well as any other flavourings (see variations below). Put the second half of the pastry on top of the cheese and press down. Sprinkle any remaining cheese on top and roll out the sheet to a 3-4mm thickness.
Put into the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Cut out the pastry with your preferred cutters (we used a range of different star sizes). Transfer the pastry shapes onto a baking paper-lined tray, brush with the milk, and scatter over your preferred toppings. Prick with a fork.
Bake the pastries for 8-10 minutes, until golden.
For the spiced variation:
Mix the smoked paprika with the cheese before scattering over the pastry. Scatter the cumin seeds over the top of the pastry, after you’ve brushed it with milk.
For the chive & poppy variation:
Mix the chives with the cheese before scattering over the pastry, Scatter the poppy seeds over the top of the pastry, after you’ve brushed it with milk.
For the lemon & herb variation:
Sprinkle the lemon zest, rosemary sea salt, and fresh rosemary over the top of the pastry, after you’ve brushed it with milk.
For the dukkah variation:
Sprinkle the dukkah over the top of the pastry, after you’ve brushed it with milk.
Note: The pastries can be frozen on a tray unbaked, then stored in a container with layers of baking paper in between. If cooking from frozen, allow an extra 2-3 minutes cooking time.