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Cheesy Tomato Pesto Puffs

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, just thawed

7 small eggs (60g each)

⅓ cup semi-dried tomato pesto

1 cup grated tasty cheese

80g shaved leg ham, chopped

Beetroot relish and sliced chives, to serve (optional)

METHOD

1 Preheat the oven to 200C fan-forced. Line a large oven tray with baking paper. Cut the pastry sheet into 6 even rectangles (8cm x 12cm). Use the tip of a sharp knife to cut a 1.5cm border in the pastry but without cutting all the way through. This will allow the pastry to form a vol-au-vent style casing for the egg.

2 Place on an oven tray. Whisk one of the eggs and brush around the border section of pastry pieces. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool for 2 minutes. Use the back of a spoon to press down the centre of the puffed pastry, leaving a border around the sides.

3 Reduce the oven to 180C. Spread pesto over the base of each pastry. Top with half of the grated cheese and ham.

4 Make a well in the centre of cheese and ham. Break an egg into it. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

5 Bake for 15-18 minutes until egg white has set. Serve topped with relish and chives if using.

AIR FRYER METHOD

1 Line the air fryer base with a sheet of baking paper. Make pastries as above in Step 1. Cook 3 pastries without filling at 180C for 4-5 minutes until puffed and golden. Turn over and cook the bases for 1 minute.

2 Remove pastry cases to a clean board to assemble. Repeat air frying the remaining 3 cases. Press down the puffed centre of pastries and top with filling as above in Step 3.

3 Air-fry, 3 at a time, at 160C for 8-9 minutes or until the egg is set.