It’s always nice being able to make your own homemade snacks from scratch, provided they don’t take hours to make (which is usually the case), so when I developed these Tuna And Cheese Pyramids that didn’t require cooking the filling beforehand, I got rather excited!

I’m always one for time saving snacks, which is one of the reasons I developed my Cheat Tortilla Lamb Samosas recipe, it mimics handmade pastry but is much faster and convenient to make. Don’t you just love it when you discover you can create something in half the time it would normally take you? So do I!

These pyramid treats are perfect for snacking on when entertaining, for iftar and even for days out. Make ahead of time and store in your freezer till needed. I made these Pyramids last Ramadan when I entertained all of my husband’s family; they were unbelievably quick to prepare, and along with some of my other recipes, I didn’t feel like I had spent days in the kitchen preparing different snacks, which is what usually tends to happen.

My children love tuna, well at least 3 of them do – I’m slowly beginning to accept my daughter will forever have an aversion to tuna and eggs, which is so UNLIKE me and makes me feel like a failure (here’s where I tell myself she takes after her father, lol) – so any recipe that involves tuna goes down really well in my house.

Throw into the mix mayonnaise, sweetcorn, cheese, spring onions and you’ve got a really flavoursome filling without having cooked a thing! Using canned tuna, canned sweetcorn and grated cheese saves so much time, the only ingredient that requires prepping for the filling is the spring onion, which needs to be chopped finely.

It’s important to use a cheese that has a full flavour for maximum taste, select a mature cheddar for this. Many of the ready grated cheeses are quite mild in terms of flavour, so be sure to select something that is mature or just buy a block of mature cheddar and grate it yourself (if you can be bothered). I actually prefer mature block cheddar for this recipe but I used the ready grated cheese I had to hand on this occasion.

The idea is so simple and easy to execute, I plan to share my Mincemeat Pyramids soon, for those of you who like my daughter, prefer a bit o’ meat in your pastries! In the meantime I really hope you enjoy this recipe and it becomes one of your go to ‘nashtas’ (‘snacks’ in Bengali) when you’re entertaining or just stocking up your freezer.

Makes approximately 22 – 24 pyramids

You will need: for Tuna And Cheese Pyramids

2 packs of ready rolled shortcrust pastry OR frozen shortcrust pastry (I only photographed one)
4 – 5 spring onions
2 cans of tuna
6 tbsp of mayonnaise
ground black pepper
1 can of sweetcorn
125g grated cheddar (preferably mature, as it has a fuller flavour)
1 egg (for sealing and brushing)
sesame and poppy seeds (for decoration, optional)

Method:

Roll out the shortcrust pastry and leave to come to room temperature, this makes it easier to handle than when it is chilled and cold.

If you are using a frozen block of pastry, roll it out into a rectangle shape and leave to one side.

Start by finely slicing 4 – 5 spring onions, I am using 6 – 7 green sprouts from onions planted in my garden which have basically the same taste. I am using slightly more as these spring onions don’t have any white parts, which are usually stronger in flavour.

In a large bowl, use a fork and mash the tuna till there are no visible chunks.

Next add 6 tbsp of mayonnaise and plenty of ground black pepper, mix until well combined.

Drain 1 can of sweetcorn, add along with the sliced spring onions and 125g of grated cheddar cheese.

Mix to ensure an even distribution of the ingredients.

Next, cut the shortcrust pastry into 12 squares.

The best way to do this is to use a knife and cut the rectangle shaped pastry into half (top photo).

Then cut either half into half again (bottom left and right photos).

Keeping the pastry on the greaseproof paper it came in, I then turned the pastry 90 degrees and proceeded to cut it lengthwise into three sections (top left photo).

You should have 12 squares when you’re finished cutting (top right photo).

Crack and whisk 1 egg.

Using your finger apply a little egg to the outer edges of one square.

Fill the square with 1 tsp of the mixture, try no to overfill as it makes it difficult to close and seal.

Fold over the top corners (top right photo) and do the same for the bottom corners (bottom left photo), and then pinch together all sides to seal the edges closed.

Once closed your pyramid should look like, well a pyramid basically!

Brush the pyramid with egg wash and sprinkle the top with either sesame or poppy seeds (this last step is optional). Repeat the steps shown for the rest of the squares.

Once you have finished using 1 roll of shortcrust pastry, repeat the entire process for the remaining roll of shortcrust pastry and use up the rest of the filling.

The pyramids can now be frozen on a flat tray and stored in the freezer till needed. Once they have hardened, place in a ziplock bag or container.

It helps to quickly chill the pyramids in the freezer for 5 minutes before baking to help preserve the shape of the pyramids after they’ve been baked.

To cook them immediately after making (after chilling but NOT freezing), bake on a flat tray with a piece of greaseproof paper underneath, in a preheated oven at gas mark 4 for 20 – 25 minutes, till golden brown.

To cook from frozen, bake in a preheated oven at gas mark 5 for 30 minutes, till golden brown on the outside and hot all the way through.

Enjoy your Tuna And Cheese Pyramids with your favourite sauces. Hopefully there’ll be one left for you, and if there isn’t, get baking that second batch!

Bon Appetit!

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