Very Berry Cheese Rolls Food

VERY BERRY CROISSANTS

Steps:

• For the almond cream: Add the butter, almond paste, rum, flour, almond extract and egg to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
• For the streusel: Add the butter, flour, oats, turbinado sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until the ingredients become a coarse crumb and set aside.
• To build: Cut each croissant in half lengthwise and place cut-side up on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Brush the cut sides of the croissants with the simple syrup, about 1 teaspoon per half. Equally distribute the almond cream on the croissants followed by the blueberries, and sprinkle the streusel over the top.
• Freeze, uncovered, until totally set, at least 2 hours.
• Remove from the freezer and wrap individually in plastic wrap (to keep the toppings on), then place in large plastic bags.
• To serve: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Take the croissants out of the plastic bags, remove the plastic wrap, place on a baking sheet and bake until the almond cream has set and the streusel is golden, 15 to 17 minutes.
• Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with the powdered sugar and serve hot or at room temperature.
• Pour 1 cup water into a saucepan and add the granulated sugar. Stir and place the saucepan over medium heat.
• By the time the edges start to simmer, the sugar should have dissolved and the liquid should be completely clear, not cloudy. Immediately remove from the heat and cool completely.
• Store the simple syrup in an airtight container, in the fridge, until ready to use. Simple syrup stays fresh up to 4 weeks.

CHEESE & ONION ROLLS

Steps:

• To make the pastry, sift the flour into a large bowl, then stir in the mustard powder, cayenne and 1 tsp salt. Grate the butter into the flour, dipping the end of the block in flour from time to time to prevent it from clumping. Stir the flour and butter together using a table knife, then pour in 120ml ice cold water, mix and bring together to form a dough. Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Cook the potatoes in a pan of salted water until tender, then drain and steam dry for a few mins before mashing and leaving to cool. Melt the butter in a frying pan until foaming. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, over a medium heat until they're completely soft and starting to caramelise. Add to a bowl with the potato. Once cool, stir in the thyme leaves, mustard, cheese and gherkins or pickled onions, and season to taste. Set aside.
• Line a baking tray with baking parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out into a large rectangle around 3mm thick. Cut the pastry into eight rectangles, then divide the filling equally between them, squashing it into a sausage shape down the long length of one side of each rectangle, leaving a 5cm gap at each end. Brush the exposed pastry with a little egg, then fold in the short sides of the rectangle and roll the empty half of pastry over the filling so that it is completely encased. Press the edge to seal it, then crimp the two shorter ends with a fork. Repeat with each roll, then transfer to the lined baking tray and chill in the fridge for 20 mins. Can be frozen at this point.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Take the rolls out of the fridge, brush all over with the beaten egg, then scatter with the nigella seeds. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 40 mins or until deeply golden and crisp. Serve hot or cold with your choice of sauce.

CHEESE ROLL-UPS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the flour and butter in a bowl and rub them together with your fingers. Rubbing in mixture with cold butter is hard and tiring on young fingers, so use slightly softened butter - but not so soft that it is oily. Now stir in the paprika and mix again.
• Add 100ml milk and mix with a fork until you get a soft dough. Add a splash more milk if the dough is dry. This process will teach you how to feel the dough and decide if it needs more liquid. You can always add more milk if required.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough like pastry to about 0.5cm thick. Try to keep a rectangular shape. Only roll in one direction, and roll and turn, roll and turn - by keeping the dough moving, you avoid finding it stuck at the end.
• Sprinkle the grated cheese on top, then roll up like a sausage along the long side. Cut into 12 thick rings using a table knife. Get an adult to show you how to hold the dough with one hand and cut straight through with the other.
• Line the baking tray with baking parchment. Place the roll-ups on the parchment, cut-side down, almost touching each other, making sure that you can see the spiral. Get an adult to put them in the oven for you and bake for 20-25 mins until golden and melty. Ask an adult to remove them from the oven, then leave to cool. The cheese roll-ups will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

VEG & CHEESE ROLLS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and sizzle for 5 mins, stirring now and then, until softened. Add the carrot and beetroot, season well and cook gently for 5-10 mins, stirring until the veg is soft. Tip into a bowl.
• Stir the cheese and thyme leaves into the vegetable mixture while it's still warm. Roughly crumble half the almonds in your hands and add these to the bowl too. Chill the mixture for 30 mins or so until cool enough to handle.
• Unroll the pastry. Cut in half lengthways, then pile the cooled filling down the middle of each strip of pastry. Brush the edges of the pastry with a little beaten egg, then fold the sides over to cover the filling. Turn the rolls over so the pastry seam is tucked underneath and cut each roll into 3, so you have 6. Place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, brush with a little more egg and sprinkle over the remaining almonds. Chill until ready to cook (or at least 15 mins). Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Bake for 20 mins until golden brown. Serve the rolls warm or cold with salad or baked beans.