Sardine puffs

Ingredients (makes about 24 puffs):
1 can FairPrice Sardines in Tomato Sauce or Tomato Sauce with Chilli
500g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
250g butter, at room temperature
3 tbsp ice water
1 egg yolk

For the egg wash:
1 egg yolk
1 tsp water

Method:
1. Place the flour in a mixing bowl, add salt and mix well. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour.
2. Add the water and egg yolk and mix to form the dough.
3. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before use.
4. Meanwhile, place the sardines in a bowl and break them up with a fork.
5. To assemble, preheat oven to 200 deg C.
6. Roll out the dough to about 0.5cm thick.
7. Use a round pastry cutter (about 8cm diameter) to cut out the pastry circles.
8. Place a small teaspoon of sardines on the centre of each round and fold the pastry into a halfmoon. Place on a baking sheet.
9. Repeat until all the pastry is used up.
10. Using the tines of a fork, press down on the edges of the puffs to seal them.
11. Make the egg wash by mixing the egg yolk and water in a small bowl. Then lightly brush it onto the tops of the pastry.
12. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

Tips:
Recipe uses FairPrice Sardines In Tomato Sauce (85 cents, 155g) and FairPrice Sardines In Tomato Sauce with Chilli ($1.75, 425g) available at all FairPrice supermarkets.

To make the process easier, always refrigerate your pastry after making it for at least 45 minutes to an hour so that it’s easier to roll out and handle.

Also, rolling out your pastry between sheets of greaseproof paper or cling film (tape the paper or cling film to your work surface to keep it steady) ensures your pastry won’t stick to your rolling pin or work surface. Plus, it makes for easy cleaning up, too.

Recipe source: Today newspaper (11 Dec 2008)