Pesto cheese straws baked on the BBQ

Directions

1. In order to successfully bake on the gas bbq you’ll need a few things: An oven thermometer, a cookie sheet that you don’t mind placing over direct heat on the BBQ, a baker’s cooling rack and a timer. The BBQ you use is also important. It should be big enough to allow air to circulate and have at least three burners that you can easily temperature control. Wait until you are ready to bake before you place the baking rack down on the grill to create indirect heat. If you don’t have a BBQ you can easily make this recipe in a home oven!
2. Thaw one sheet or half a box of puff pastry overnight in the fridge or on the counter, watching carefully not to let the outside get too warm before the inside is thawed. You can use the heat of your hands to unroll it gently but do not let it crack.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of cheese on a large cutting board and place your sheet of puff pastry on top. Sprinkle over another 1/4 cup of cheese. I like to add in sesame seeds and some pepper or paprika for a little extra dimension!
4. Roll the puff pastry using a rolling pin until it’s about 1/8 inches thick spread on your pesto and ¼ cup cheese then fold the pastry in half. Roll the pastry to 1/8 inch thick- Don’t worry too much about the dimensions but really long and thick cheese straws make a gorgeous presentation.
5. Cut the pastry into long strips about one inch thick and transfer each piece to your prepared baking tray and, holding each end, twist and twist and twist until you have lots of nice trunks in the dough. Repeat with all the strips. You can use a second sheet of puff pastry and repeat if you’re hosting a crowd. Chill the tray for about 30 minutes to one hour before baking.
6. Preheat your BBQ to 400 F. In order to get to the right temperature, set your BBQ to medium high until it reaches about 425 F and then turn off the middle burner or middle two burners and check every five minutes until you get to approximately your desired temperature. This should take about 15 minutes and once you understand your BBQ’s temperature you’ll be able to reach the right temperature more easily the next time. Time your preheating to when the straws will be fully chilled.
7. Prepare your BBQ by placing your baking set up in the BBQ quickly to avoid letting heat escape then placing your filled baking tray on top. Bake for 20 or so minutes until the dough is puff nicely and the straws are firm and crisp to the touch! Enjoy the same day for best flavour!