Bacon and Onion Flaky Pastry Rolls

Great for kidsGreat for parties

These are flat flaky, palm-shaped little bites that can be made ahead of time and frozen. Even if the pastry is ready-rolled make sure you roll it out a bit thinner.


By Caroline Marson
Cookery advisor All recipes by Caroline Marson

Ingredients

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min

  • 2 sheets of ready-rolled puff pastry

    Pastry

    Ready rolled puff or shortcrust

    Ideal for quick pies

    or 200g frozen puff pastry

    Pastry

    Ready rolled puff or shortcrust

    Ideal for quick pies

    rolled out thinly
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

    Olive oil

    Usually the darker green the oil, the richer the flavour.

    • Extra virgin olive oil is good for drizzling on salads and should never be heated as this destroys the fine properties
    • Lighter olive oil is good for adding to bread, or to flavour a salad or marinade for chicken, meat, fish or vegetables. Lighter olive oil can be gently heated and added to marinades and baking.
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 200g bacon rashers, chopped finely
  • 2 tablespoon pesto, basil or sun-dried tomato
  • 2 tablespoon finely chopped basil

    Herbs

    Ideal for seasoning pastas.

    To keep cut parsley or coriander, put in a hole free polythene bag with a couple of tablespoons of cold water, give the bag a good shake and keep in the salad drawer of the fridge. Herbs should keep for a week like this.

  • 2 tablespoon grated Parmesan

    Cheese

    Add to eggs for omelettes, grate onto soups or salads.

    • Parmesan often goes rock hard or becomes horribly sweaty. Ideally, all cheese should be stored in a cool, airy place at a temperature of 46-50F/8-10C. However, most of us put it straight into the fridge. This is fine providing the cheese is kept loosely wrapped in its own airtight container so it isn’t tainted by other foods.
    • Store it in the salad drawer, which is not quite as cold as the rest of the fridge and use a micro plane for grating.

Instructions

  1. Make the filling; Heat the oil in medium frying pan; cook garlic and bacon, stirring, until bacon is crisp. Add onion and pesto, stirring for 2 minutes.
  2. Stir in basil and cheese into bacon mixture and allow to cool, this could be down the night before.
  3. Lay the pastry on the work surface and roll out to very thin rectangle. Cut the pastry down the middle lengthways and spread half the filling on each piece of pastry; fold two opposite sides of the pastry inward to meet in the middle; press gently to flatten slightly. Roll each side in half again to meet in the middle: press gently to flatten.
  4. Wrap in cling film and put into the freezer for about 1 hour.
  5. Preheat the oven to very hot about 220C (400F) mark 7. Lightly oil two baking trays.
  6. Cut the pastry rolls into 1.5cm slices using a sharp knife. Place the slices flat on prepared trays about 1.5cm apart. Bake, uncovered, in a very hot oven for about 12 minutes or until the pastries are browned lightly.

To freeze ahead; complete the recipe and store the cooked pastry rolls in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.

To use; Defrost the pastry rolls at room temperature for 1 hour, and warm through on a baking sheet in the oven at 180C (350F) mark 4 for 5 minutes.

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