With Vodacom Durban July this month, are you considering hosting some friends or family for a day of betting and fashion policing in the comfort of your own home? If you are, then why not consider making some cocktail treats for your hungry guests.
Puff pastry is one of the easiest to use when it comes to creating fabulous eats and goes a long way when it comes to groups of guests.
Here are some puff pastry cocktail ideas for you try this July!
Meaty Pin Wheels
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
½ peeled and finely chopped onion
½ chopped tomato
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
500g lean beef mince
1 teaspoon dried mixed Italian herbs
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 tablespoon plain cake flour
500g ready-made puff pastry
50g grated cheddar
1 medium egg
Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200C.
- Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper or tin foil.
- On the stove, heat oil in a pan and fry the onion and garlic for 2–3 minutes until soft, stir regularly. Then add in the tomato and allow to soften.
- Once soft, spoon the mixture into a large heatproof bowl and leave to cool for few minutes.
- Next, add the beef mince, dried herbs, tomato purée and the flour to the bowl with the onion and tomato and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Use clean hands and mix till combined.
- Then, lightly flour a clean surface with flour, and roll the puff pastry (about 30cm)
- Spread the mince mixture over the pastry, leaving 2cm free from the edge around the edges. Sprinkle on the grated cheese and brush the pastry edges with the beaten egg.
- Next, roll the pastry up from one side to the other.
- Cut the roll into 12 even slices.
- Arrange the sliced pinwheels on the baking tray, ensuring they are spaced well to allow for rising. Flatten each pinwheel with the palm of your hand. Brush the top of each one with a little of the beaten egg.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until well-risen and golden brown.
- Allow to cool slightly, then remove from the baking paper. Serve!
Sausage rolls
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, (halved and thinly sliced)
1 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 sheets frozen ready-rolled puff pastry (preferably partially thawed)
1 lightly beaten egg
8 pork sausages
Method:
- Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper or tin foil.
- On the stove, heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft, ensure you stir so that they do not burn. Add in the sugar. Cook and stir until caramelised. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
- Then, cut each pastry sheet into 4 squares. To prepare each square, place 1 square on the table and brush 1 edge with egg.
- Spread 1 tablespoon of the onion mixture onto the pastry and add 1 sausage.
- Then, roll up pastry and enclose sausage with egg-brushed edge on top. Press to secure.
- Repeat the process for all.
- Then place the side with the seam onto the tray.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until sausages are cooked through and pastry is golden.
Cream Puff tarts
Ingredients
Whipped cream
500g ready-made puff pastry
2x round cookie cutters of two different sizes, one medium and one small
Strawberries or berries of choice
1 teaspoon of Icing sugar
1 lightly beaten egg
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200C.
- Lay the puff pastry on a floured surface. (The colder the pastry, the better)
- Pierce the pastry with the medium cookie cutter and then again in the inside with the smaller one to make a ring. Repeat until all pastry is used.
- Then brush the pastry with the egg
- Place the pastry circles onto a baked sheet and place in the ore-heated oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden.
- Remove and allow to cool.
- Take a sharp knife and cut around the inner circle of each pastry tartlet and press in to make a dip in the pastry centre.
- Add the whipped cream and top with the berries. Repeat for all.
- Then for added sweetness, dust with icing sugar using a sieve.