Bethany's Vegan Kitchen

Is there anything better than cheese and pastry? Don’t bother answering, we all know the answer is “no”. This impressive looking dish would be ideal served as a starter, and is perfect for sharing. It’s also very easy to make as we’re using shop bought cheese, chutney and pastry. Sometimes it’s just handy to have a few easy festive recipes on hand that don’t take four to five business days to complete. For this recipe, vegan cheese is brushed with red onion chutney wrapped in pastry, then baked to perfection. This method of baking vegan cheese will result in a deliciously creamy texture, making it perfect to eat with bread, crackers or breadsticks. It’s the first recipe in this years festive miniseries of recipes, with another two recipes coming out later this month

Serves; Four Cook time; 25-30 minutes

You’ll need;

1. One 200g block of vegan cheese
2. Two tablespoons of red onion chutney
3. 200g ready rolled puff pastry
4. One tablespoon of dairy-free milk
5. One pinch of ground turmeric
6. One teaspoon of sesame seeds

Method;

• Start by allowing the pastry to come to room temperature before unrolling. Once you’ve unrolled the pastry, brush the cheese with the red onion chutney, then place it on top of the pastry
• Wrap the pastry around the cheese and make sure it’s fully sealed. Press the ends of the pastry closed and trim away the excess. Use any leftover pastry to decorate the top with
• Add the milk and turmeric to a small dish and whisk to combine. This will mimic an egg wash and give the pastry a lovely colour once it’s baked
• Sprinkle the sesame seeds onto the pastry and press them in slightly. This will ensure they will stick to the pastry as they bake
• Bake the cheese at 200°C/180°C fan assisted for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown
• Leave to stand for ten minutes before serving