Squash & chestnut crackers

QQMakes 4 Prep 35 mins plus at least 45 mins chilling Cook 1 hr 10 mins uncooked

Q1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

250g butternut squash, peeled,

deseeded and cut into 1cm cubes 250g chestnut mushrooms, chopped 100ml marsala or madeira

100g cooked chestnuts, chopped

1 tsp dried sage, or chopped fresh 2 prunes, pitted and finely chopped 2 tbsp red onion chutney or relish

40g soft white breadcrumbs

2 x 320g sheets ready-rolled puff pastry plain flour, for dusting

200g strong vegetarian hard cheese,

cut into 1cm cubes

1 egg, beaten to glaze

1 Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and fry the onion and squash for 15 mins until the onion is golden and the squash tender. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 8-10 mins. Pour in the marsala and bubble for 2-3 mins. Stir in the chestnuts, sage, prunes, relish and breadcrumbs. Season well. Leave to cool. 2 Unroll one of the pastry sheets onto a lightly floured surface and cut a 2cm-wide

strip from one of the long sides of the pastry (reserve to decorate). Cut the remaining pastry into four long rectangles for the bases. Cut the remaining pastry sheet into four for the tops, and chill all the pastry on a lined baking sheet for 15 mins. 3 Stir the cheese into the cooled filling, then divide the mixture into four portions. Mould into sausages and position on the pastry bases, leaving lots of room for what will be the scrunched ends of the crackers. 4 Brush the exposed pastry around the filling with the beaten egg and drape over the larger pastry tops, sealing the pastry all around the filling. Trim, if needed, and pinch in the ends to create Christmas cracker shapes. Press the ends with a fork, trimming again, if needed, then glaze with more of the beaten egg. Chill for 30 mins, or up to 24 hrs. Use the reserved pastry to decorate the crackers.

5 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Glaze with more beaten egg and bake for 35-40 mins until golden and puffed up. Serve with veggie gravy and trimmings (see sides feature, p36).

PER SERVING 1,033 kcals, fat 62g, saturates 32g,

carbs 78g, sugars 17g, fibre 10g, protein 30g, salt 1.7g

1:30PM 1:40PM