Beef Mince Pinwheels

From Ben Weatherstone

Ingredients:

1tbsp sunflower oil

1/2 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 crushed garlic clove

500g lean beef mince

1tsp dried mixed herbs

1tbsp tomato puree

1tbsp plain flour, plus extra for rolling

500g block of ready made puff pastry

If you want to: 50g mature cheddar, finely grated

1 medium egg, beaten

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius and line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper

2. Heat the oil in a small frying pan and gently fry the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes until soft, regularly stirring. Tip the mixture into a large heatproof bowl and leave to cool for a few minutes

3. Add the minced beef, dried herbs, tomato puree and flour to the bowl with the onion and season with salt and pepper. Mix with (clean) hands until thoroughly combined

4. Lightly flour a clean surface and roll the pastry into a square roughly 34cm by 34cm

5. Spread the mince mixture over the pastry, leaving a 1.5cm border around the edges. If using cheese, sprinkle that on now, and brush the pastry edges with a little of the egg.

6. Firmly roll the pastry up, like a Swiss roll

    Tip: If the roll doesn't stay rolled up, use a little water spread across the end of the pastry to help it stick

7. Using a serrated knife - a bread knife is ideal - cut the roll into 12 even slices

8. Place the pinwheels on the baking tray, spaced well apart to allow for rising. Flatten each pinwheel slightly with the palm of your hand. Brush the top of each pinwheel with egg to glaze, taking care to avoid the glaze dripping down the sides of them, as this will cause them to stick to the tray. Bake for 15mins, or until they are well risen, golden brown, and the beef is cooked through

9. Allow to cool slightly, then remove from the greaseproof paper using a palette knife. Best served warm