Prep time:

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Total time:

Serves: 40

60g Plain Sifted Flour

Salt, Cayenne Pepper

45g Cold Butter, diced

60g Parmesan Cheese, grated

1tsp Black Olives

For the Topping:

15g Parsley

2tbsp Pine Nuts

4tbsp Parmesan, grated

1 Garlic Clove

1tbsp Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Creamy Goat's cheese

Caroline Cowan from Brick House Farm now owns The Woolpack Hotel in Tenterden. She’s a great cook and hostess so we asked her to put together some mouthwatering morsels to kick start the winter party season with a culinary bang...

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C
  2. Place flour, pinch salt and cayenne, butter, Parmesan and 1tsp black olives in a food processor. Pulse to form a smooth dough.
  3. Roll out dough on a floured surface to a 0.5cm thickness. Stamp out 40 rounds with a 3.5cm pastry cutter. Place rounds on baking parchment and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  4. Bake until golden brown about 8 minutes. Cool completely before topping.

For the topping:

  1. Place all ingredients, apart from the goat’s cheese, in a food processor and pulse to a thick paste. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Use a teaspoon to top shortbreads with pesto and goat’s cheese. Serve at room temperature.

  • words:
  • pictures: David Merewether

You may also like

Savoury gingerbread & local Camembert (Winnie’s Wheel)

To make this canapé you can use shop-bought gingerbread, but I prefer something a bit more savoury.

Parma ham basket with labneh, truffle or herb oil & Jerusalem artichoke crisp

A complex canapé with multiple elements, but the wow factor lies in the surprisingly simple-to-make basket.

Chilli beef, mozzarella & chilli jam bruschetta

A super easy canapé that can be elevated with homemade bread and chutney or simplified using shop-bought ingredients. The flexibility makes it ideal for both casual gatherings and more polished events.