Cheese Turnovers

A super tea time/snack treat from the Modern Cookery, circa 1917. I adapted it very slightly, as I made them yesterday to tuck into while we watched the Eurovison Song Contest! What would they have made of that a hundred years ago? I added some dried mustard powder to the cheese cream and topped the finished turnovers with grated fresh parmesan and a sprinkling of smoked paprika.

First, buy your all butter puff pastry or make some. I found a easy peasy recipe some years ago

using 8 oz plain flour, pinch salt, 4 oz lard, 4 oz butter, 5 fl of very cold water and 2 teaspoons lemon juice.  Cube [small] the fats and chill in the freezer, on a plate, for ten mins. Add to the salt and flour and coat well. Make a well and pour in the liquids. Mix, then roll out to about 8 x 14”, fold as usual, into the middle and seal both ends. Wrap then chill for ten mins. Repeat four times, rolling with a sealed end facing you That’s it. Dead simple and so flakey with no hassle. Chill for three hours at least before using.

Pre heat your fan oven to 220C and butter a baking sheet. The mixture below makes 9 - 4 inch turnovers.

2 eggs 

2 oz cheese [I presume cheddar or similar, [I had a bit of Gruyere left in the fridge]

1 oz butter

Salt and pepper

puff pastry

grated parmesan for the top

a little smoked paprika

Grate the cheese and place it in a thick bottomed saucepan and dissolve gently, then add the butter, seasoning and the well beaten eggs. Whisk continuously until it resembles a thick cream. Allow to cool. A most unusual method and at one point I thought it would not come together, but then it did! 

When the cheese mix is cold, roll out your puff pastry thinly and cut it into rounds, using a small saucer as a guide. [I have no small saucer so used my largest 4 inch plain cutter] Place a spoonful of the mixture on each round. Moisten the edges with a little beaten egg then fold in half and pinch the edges together. Brush the top with more beaten egg, add a sprinkling of the parmesan and paprika and bake in your hot oven for about 14-15 mins.

Eat warm. [or cold] Just lovely, incredibly scrummy in fact. The modern me would add a few pieces of caramelised onion too, I think!!

Note: I used the end of a teaspoon to notch and seal the edges.

Note: I wanted Greece to win. Not sure I like the song from Portugal. Great spectacle as usual though. What about the streaker!!!