Olive and Tomato Stars
These olive and tomato stars from Emma Marsden's Christmas on a Plate cookbook make perfect festive canapés. Easy to make, they look stunning as part of a Christmas party buffet.
Introduction
These dainty stars are cut from simple squares of puff pastry, with the corners folded in to create the shape. Serve topped with cream cheese and a green olive or tomato tapenade.
Ingredients
| ½ × 375g | ready-rolled sheet of puff pastry |
| 50g | green olives |
| leaves from a few thyme sprigs | |
| olive oil | |
| 50g | sun-dried tomatoes |
| a little grated lemon zest | |
| 25g | parmesan cheese, finely grated |
| 100g | cream cheese |
Essential kit
You will need a food processor.
Method
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/gas 6.
Unroll the puff pastry on a board and cut into 40 × 3cm squares. Cut down each corner diagonally into the square, leaving a small circle in the middle. Fold one corner of each down into the middle and press to secure.Transfer to a non-stick baking sheet and chill for 10 minutes.
Whiz the green olives in a mini food processor with the thyme leaves and 1 teaspoon of olive oil until blended. Scrape into a bowl and set aside. Do the same with the sun-dried tomatoes and lemon zest.
Sprinkle the stars with a little grated parmesan and season. Bake the puff pastry stars in the oven for 10–15 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Spoon or pipe some cream cheese into the middle of each star and top with a little green tapenade or sun-dried tomato tapenade. Garnish with a few extra thyme leaves.
