Granny's Cheese & Bacon Swirls

Granny's Cheese & Bacon Swirls

My wonderful grandparents were not materialistic, they were both brought up in humble surroundings by families who were deeply connected to the land and their local community. My granny's mother was a dressmaker for the fashionable women of the 1920s, and my grampy's father was a chauffeur for the family living in the 'big house', Downton Abbey-style. They lived through the war, starting their married life at a time when so much was still needing to be rebuilt. They never talked much about what happened during the previous decades and instead focused their energy on what needed to be done now. My granny was the sort of soul who would do anything for another person. Her home was always warm and welcoming. No matter how brief your visit, you were never without a hug, a plate of biscuits and a hot drink. When it was time to gather as a family, in celebration or commiseration, she would put on the most wonderful spreads, never without a plate of her famous cheese and bacon swirls. This is my family silver, so to speak, but I know Granny would have no qualms with me giving it away; she would have given you her last shilling. I love the thought of you incorporating one of our special family recipes into your own repertoire, and creating your own memories as you catch up over a plateful of these, cup of tea in hand.

Ingredients

Spring · Serves Makes 12

  • a knob of grass-fed butter

  • 1

    onion, finely chopped

  • 4 rashers

    smoked streaky bacon, chopped

  • 2–3

    spring onions, finely chopped

  • 1 tsp

    wholegrain mustard

  • 200g (7oz)

    clothbound Cheddar, grated

  • 2

    organic and/or free-range eggs

  • flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • For the rough puff pastry

    400g (14oz)

    stoneground unbleached white flour, plus extra for dusting

  • 200g (7oz)

    grass-fed butter, fridge-cold and diced

  • 1 tbsp

    flaky sea salt

  • 200ml (7fl oz)

    water

Buy available ingredients
Recipe image

Buy available ingredients

Native Breed Streaky Bacon

Native Breed Streaky Bacon

Native Breed Streaky Bacon

From £5.50
From £5.50
Gilchesters, Organic Strong White Flour

Gilchesters, Organic Strong White Flour

Gilchesters, Organic Strong White Flour

£3.75
£3.75

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

First, make the pastry. Place the flour in a mixing bowl and add the cold, diced butter and salt. Slowly pour in the water, gently mixing together without breaking up the butter, then form into a rough dough (it will feel quite dry). Wrap in baking parchment and place in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.

Remove the dough from the fridge. On a flour-dusted work surface, roll it into a rectangle 1cm (½in) thick. Fold either end to the centre, then fold in half top to bottom. You should end up with something that looks a little like a book. Turn the pastry 90 degrees, then roll out and repeat the process once again. This is called laminating. Place the pastry back in the fridge and leave for another hour.

Remove the dough from the fridge and repeat the laminating process with two more folds. Roll, fold, roll, fold. You should have folded the pastry four times in total. Place the pastry back in the fridge for another hour, and then it's ready to use.

To make the filling, set a cast-iron frying pan over a low–medium heat and add the knob of butter. Once sizzling, add the onion along with a pinch of salt and sweat for 7–8 minutes, or until it has become soft and translucent. Tip the onion into a mixing bowl and set to one side.

Increase the heat, then fry off the bacon until the fat has rendered and the lardons are crispy and golden. Tip the bacon into the bowl of onions.

Add the spring onions to the mixing bowl along with the mustard and grated Cheddar.

Once the mixture is completely cool, add 1 egg and mix well to combine. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Whisk the second egg in a separate bowl to create an egg wash.

Dust the worktop with a little flour and roll out the pastry into a thin rectangle.

Spoon the filling mixture into the centre of the pastry and spread it out evenly across the surface, leaving a 1cm (½in) border along one long edge. Roll the pastry from the other long edge to form a log. Egg wash the pastry border and seal the log. Place the log in the fridge and chill for 1 hour to allow the pastry to firm up.

Once chilled, use a sharp knife to cut the log into discs 1cm-width (½ inch) and lay each swirl onto the lined baking tray. Egg wash the top and sides of each swirl. Bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes, or until the pastry is beautifully golden and crisp.

Slide the swirls onto a wire rack and leave to cool for 10 minutes or so.

Pack up to take with you on a picnic, or serve them as part of an afternoon tea or any gathering needing delicious snacks. The swirls are great to make ahead. You can freeze them at the raw stage, then defrost and bake them later. Or you can freeze them once baked and all you'll need to do is defrost them and gently warm through in the oven. They will keep well in either state, wrapped in greaseproof paper and stored in an airtight container in the freezer, for up to 6 months.
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