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cheese cushions

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This is a version of my cheese biscuits – shaped differently, a little neater and more aesthetically pleasing. Rugelach pastry is the base and it’s the easiest and nicest pastry in the world – just three ingredients, kneaded together by hand or in a mixer in no time at all and can be used in all kinds of products. The original comes sweet, with a cinnamon, raisins or nuts and sugar sprinkle, rolled into little crescents, hence rugelach – ‘little twists’.

It works excellently in savoury bakes as well and tastes like a cross between puff and shortcrust pastry.

cheese cushions

Servings: about 2 dozen, depending on the sizeTime: an hour plus chilling pastry

INGREDIENTS

400g plain flour

225g butter, softened

225g full fat cream cheese

a pinch of salt

300g grated cheese: Cheddar, Gruyère, Emmental or a mix

a handful of pumpkin seeds or pine nuts

METHOD

1. For the pastry, mix all the ingredients except the cheese in a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, or knead it by hand to a smooth pastry. Form a ball, wrap it in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least half an hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6.

3. Cut off slices of the pastry and roll them out into rectangles, trim the edges. Cut into squares, as small or as large as you like – mine are about 6 x 6cm. Pile a mound of cheese onto each square and fold the corners into the middle, envelope style.

4. Press firmly so the pastry doesn’t open up whilst baking and push a pumpkin seed or a pine nut deep into the middle. Place the biscuits on a baking tray lined with parchment with plenty of space between them.

5. Bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden and the cheese is bubbly and oozing out here and there. Cool on a wire rack.