New Year’s Eve is very complex to navigate, an evening of high emotional stakes with many potential pitfalls. It’s the last day of the year, needless to say, which means it’s the last chance to end on a bright note — no easy feat when you feel weighed down physically, psychologically and existentially from the festivities of December.
It is also the-night-before-the-day-after, before the gym and the diet or whatever other awful resolution you’ll choose to inflict upon yourself next year. It’s the night before the three dreariest months, before you need to saddle up, get on the horse and get on with it. Yet, somehow, we are supposed to be jolly and pursue industrial-grade fun with everyone else.
On the morning of December 31, it is worth remembering that, like you, everyone feels just as tired as they feel excited, as anxious as hopeful for a fantastic year to come. But whatever you do that evening, two things will almost certainly bring joy: melted cheese and something to drink — and plenty of both.
For the drink, naturally we defer to Jancis Robinson. For the cheese, look no further, because melted cheese is at the literal heart of these soft, tangy impossible-to-have-just-one buns. Have a batch poised, along with some pizza-esque accoutrements (anchovies are optional, but we strongly recommend them), and put the buns in the oven as people arrive. They’ll be ready by the time everyone has settled into their first drink. Let them cool down a bit before serving with a hot-cheese-inside warning. Whatever else the evening brings, it could scarcely have started better.
Pizza buns
To make eight round nibble buns
For the filling
To roll the buns (optional)
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Place all the cold ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine into a dough. Transfer it to your workbench and divide into eight even pieces. Press each one down to make a disk. You can use a little flour to stop them sticking but try to use as little as possible.
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Cut the cheese into eight cubes of about 8g each. Put the tomato purée in the middle of each pastry round and top with a cube of cheese, two olives and a little oregano. Lift each circle and seal it by folding over the filling, encasing it. Pinch a little to close, then roll between your palms to seal. Place on a baking tray.
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If you wish to coat the buns, drizzle or brush them with olive oil, then sprinkle the sesame and chilli flakes over the top of each one. You can prepare all this in advance and keep them in the fridge until you wish to bake and serve.
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Heat your oven to 190C. Bake for 14-16 minutes until lovely and golden. Serve warm, but do warn about the melting cheese.
Email Sarit and Itamar at honeyandco@ft.com and follow them on Instagram @honeyandco
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New Year’s Eve pizza buns — a Honey & Co recipe
Pinoy Variant