These moreish pastry twists are a combination of dairy-free cheese, meat-free smoked ham, and crumbly shortcrust pastry. They’re a really tasty snack and are lovely eaten hot or cold. Shortcrust and puff pastry from supermarkets (here in the UK at least) is usually suitable for vegans, as oil is used rather than butter. But it’s still a good idea to check the ingredients to make sure
Serves: 8 Cook time: 15-20 minutes
You’ll need:
- 320g ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
- 70g grated dairy-free cheese
- 50g vegan ham slices, I used Quorn smoky vegan ham which is available from most supermarkets
- One tablespoon of tomato and herb sauce. The tomato sauce I’m using is a Tesco own brand tomato and herb pizza sauce. You could also use pasta sauce or make your own if preferred
- One quarter of a teaspoon of Italian seasoning
- Black pepper to taste
- A couple of tablespoons of dairy-free milk
- A couple of tablespoons of plain flour, this is just to dust your hands with
Method:
- Start by allowing the pastry to come to room temperature before gently unrolling it. Evenly spread the tomato sauce over one half of the pastry. I did this using the back of a spoon
- Top the sauce with the ham slices, pressing them down slightly into the sauce
- Then top the ham with the grated dairy-free cheese. Try to sprinkle the cheese in an even layer. Finally top the cheese with the Italian seasoning, again try to sprinkle over the herbs in a nice even layer
- Fold the other half of the pastry over the filling, then cover the pastry with baking paper, and use a rolling pin to gently press everything together. You don’t need to apply very much pressure, just enough to press the pastry and the filling together
- Pop the pastry back into the fridge to firm up for ten minutes (firming the pastry back up will make it easier to slice and twist). Use a sharp knife to slice the pastry into eight strips, then dust your hands with a little flour and twist each piece of pastry into shape
- Brush each twist with a little dairy-free milk, then bake at 200°C/180°C fan assisted for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Leave to cool for five minutes before serving
Once they’ve cooled to room temperature, store them in an airtight container, they will keep for a few days
Bethany's Vegan Kitchen 