Pesto Camembert Twist

by

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups cottage cheese
  • Icing
  • - 3 Tbsp butter
  • - ½ tsp vanilla
  • - 1 ¾ cups icing sugar
  • - 2 Tbsp milk

Instructions

  1. Mix together first 3 ingredients.
  2. Chill dough.
  3. Preheat oven to 350.
  4. Roll out dough and cut into triangles. Starting at the wide edge, roll up each wedge, placing seam side down on the cookie sheet.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes.
  6. Drizzle icing over cooled crescent roll ups.

ONE: Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan/400F). Roll out the pastry sheets so they are a little wider on all edges. Then lay a large plate on the pastry and use it as a guide to cut out two large circles of puff pastry. Lay one round on the prepared baking tray.

TWO: Place the Brie or Camembert in the centre (still whole, with its rind on). Smooth the pesto evenly over the pastry, around the edge of the brie, then top with the grated Comté.

THREE: Lay the second round of puff pastry over the top. Gently press around the edges of the brie so it moulds to its shape and press the edges of the two sheets of puff pastry together to seal. 

FOUR: Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into 16-20 strips; these will be the sun rays radiating out from the cheese. So you cut from the edge of the cheese to the outer edge of the pastry.

FIVE: Twist each strip two or three times.

SIX: Brush the pastry with the beaten egg for a glossy finish. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Cooking Tips:

How to stop a soggy base

  • If your oven doesn’t run very hot, try baking on a pre-heated heavy-based tray (or better still, a baking stone) so the bottom heats quickly and crisps.

Keeping the cheese molten longer

  • If you have to hang fire before serving, turn the oven temperature to 90 °C and keep warm under foil.
  • Serve the tart immediately from the oven and keep it on a warm board if possible, to maintain some heat.