Giving the humble cheese twist a mediterranean make over and best of all they are completely gluten free.
Now if you are anything like me, I really miss good gluten free savoury products. Many of the ones I have tried and tested from the supermarkets are often very dry and flaky and just a bit bland. Thankfully the amazing people at Jus-Roll pastry have created Gluten Free Puff pastry and its magical and great for a wide range of savoury pastry snacks and my go to when I need puff pastry, so now you can make your own. Of course you could try making your own gluten free puff pastry from scratch and there are some great recipes out there if you do but honestly I generally don't have the time or patience for such things so the Jus-Roll Gluten Free Puff Pastry is perfect for me.
So let's get down to business. I love cheese twists but sometimes you just want something that packs a little more punch. These gluten free pesto, sun-dried tomato and mozzarella twists totally deliver on flavour with tangy tomatoes wrapped in yummy pesto and gooey mozzarella cheese all twisted together with golden puff pastry, they make the perfect party food, lunch box snack or picnic staple (yes I am already dreaming about picnic weather).
Can I make this Gluten free and Dairy Free?
Yes you can. I use Jus-Roll Gluten Free puff pastry in this recipe which does not list any dairy products in it's ingredients and is also suitable for vegans (at time of writing) but please always double check the label before using as companies may change their ingredients or processes over time so this can change. You can also swap out the pesto for a dairy free version and many supermarkets do their own brand ones. Asda and Violife Foods also do good quality dairy free mozzarella alternatives as well.
What you will need
1 packet of Jus-Roll Gluten Free Puff Pastry
Green Pesto
Sun-dried Tomatoes - Fresh or from a Jar
Grated Mozzarella Cheese
An Egg
Gluten Free Pesto, Sun-dried Tomato and Mozzarella Twists
Makes Approx 4 Twists
Ingredients
1 packet of of Jus-Roll Gluten Free Puff Pastry
2 heaped teaspoons of green pesto
Approx 10- 14 sundried tomatoes (add more or less to personal preference and cut tomatoes half if large)
Approx 30g grated mozzarella cheese
1 egg
Method
Remove puff pastry from the fridge and the box and leave at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees/180 fan.
Break your egg into a small bowl or cup and whisk lightly with a folk and set aside.
Unroll your puff pastry sheet straight onto your baking tray and leave on the paper it was wrapped in. This will save you from needing any extra baking paper.
With a sharp knife or pizza cutter divide your pastry sheet in two widthways across so you have 2 shorter fat sections.
On one section of the pastry add two heaped teaspoons of pesto. Using the back of the teaspoon spread the pesto over the pastry section leaving a small border around the edge on all four sides.
Next Sprinkle your sun dried tomatoes on to of the pesto layer.
Then sprinkle your grated mozzarella over the tomato and pesto layers. You may find you do not need all of the cheese or you may wish to add a little more if you like it extra cheesy.
Take your egg and using a pastry brush or a clean finger brush a little egg around the border you have left.
Place the second plain section of puff pastry over the top of your first section and gently push down the edges to seal the two pastry halves together to make a giant parcel.
Using a sharp knife cut the pastry parcel into 4 strips then gently separate on the tray.
Next twist the strips so that they start to resemble cheese twists. Hold the top half of the strip with one hand and the bottom half with the other and twist the pastry in opposite directions. Don't worry if some of the filling spills out pop it back in and pinch the edges of the pastry together to seal. Continue until all the strips are twisted.
Brush the twists all over with the egg ensuring they are covered well.
Bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes until crispy and golden brown.
Once baked allow to cool slightly then place on some sheets of kitchen roll for a few minutes to absorb any excess oil that may have escaped during baking.
Enjoy fresh from the oven or cool and place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.