Pumpkin seed pesto cheese straws

Julia Platt Leonard’s light pumpkin seed and pesto twists are the ideal welcome nibble for festive party guests

Here’s the challenge: you’ve got people coming over for Christmas dinner. You’ve planned the meal, done the shopping, chosen the wine and dragged out the white tablecloth from the bottom of a drawer. You’ve asked everyone to arrive in plenty of time so there’s no last minute rush to the table.

But what do you do with all these lovely folks from the moment they arrive until they sit down to dinner? You’ll offer them a glass of something, of course. And there should be a nibble to go with it. Here’s the rub – you don’t want them stuffing themselves silly. It needs to be something tasty to get the juices flowing, elegant yet easy.

Cheese straws are a happy solution. They’re hand-held (no need for more plates) and the perfect accompaniment to a cocktail or glass of wine or bubbles. Thanks to frozen puff pastry, they’re also a doddle to make, especially if it’s already rolled out. Top them with pesto and you can slip them into the fridge until you’re ready to bake them off.

I make a pumpkin seed pesto but you could use a shop-bought pesto too. If you do make the sauce, make it ahead of time and top it with some olive oil to keep the lovely green colour. Store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use. This recipe makes much more pesto than you’ll need but it’s handy to have around – great with pasta, on vegetables or stirred into soup. It also freezes beautifully. I like to put it in an ice cube tray then I’ve got handy portion-size cubes ready to go.

I like the cheese straws when they’re still warm from the oven with a small bowl of the pesto on the side for dipping.

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Pumpkin seed pesto cheese straws

Makes about 40 cheese straws

1 x 320g sheet of already rolled out frozen puff pastry, thawed
4 tbsp pumpkin seed pesto or other pesto
30g parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
Paprika

Pumpkin Seed Pesto

1 large bunch of basil, about 50g
1 small clove garlic, minced
25g pumpkin seeds
150ml olive oil
20g grated parmesan cheese
Salt & black pepper

Preheat oven to 225°C. To make the pesto, wash and dry the basil leaves, discarding the stems. Put the garlic and pumpkin seeds in the small bowl of a food processor. Blitz adding a bit of the olive oil until roughly chopped. Add the basil leaves and while the machine is running, drizzle in the rest of the olive oil. You’re aiming for a slightly rough paste. Place the mixture in a bowl and stir in the grated cheese. Taste and add salt and black pepper as needed.

Place the puff pastry on a cutting board. Spread the pesto onto the pastry, covering it completely. Top with the parmesan cheese. Pat the parmesan down so it sticks to the pesto and pastry. If time allows, pop in the fridge for 30 minutes – this will make it easier to handle. Take a pizza cutter or very sharp knife and slice the pastry in half lengthwise. Cut each half into strips – about 40 in total.

Carefully lift up a strip and twist it from both ends to create a spiral. Place onto the baking sheet, leaving space between the strips as they’ll spread as they cook. Brush the bits that don’t have pesto with the egg wash and add a sprinkle of paprika.

Put the pan in the hot oven and cook for about 5 minutes until puffed up and nicely browned. Serve hot or at room temperature with a small bowl of the pesto on the side for extra dipping if you desire.