Take a bite out of these scary snacks – before they bite you!!

Preparation: 25 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes
Serves 8
Suitable for vegetarians

Ingredients

• 4 Spanish persimons
• 500g ready-to-roll puff pastry, thawed if frozenPlain flour, for dusting
• 100g Cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 roasted or fresh red pepper
• 3tbsp peanut butter
• A few pumpkin seeds or flaked almonds
• 3-4 strawberries, sliced

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan oven 200°C, Gas Mark 7.
2. Cut 2 persimons into round even slices, removing their leafy stems. Cut the remaining 2 persimons into 6 wedges, again removing their leafy stems.
3. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and stamp out rounds with a 7-8cm cutter. Arrange on greased baking sheets and sprinkle with grated cheese. Place a slice of persimon on top of each one and sprinkle with a little more cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until puffed up and golden brown.
4. Cut out ‘fangs’ from the red pepper and arrange on top of the puff pastry bites.
5. With the persimon wedges, carefully cut out a smaller wedge from each one, fill with peanut butter and arrange pumpkin seeds or flaked almonds on top to look like ‘teeth’, with strawberry slices to look like ‘tongues’. Serve at once.

Cook’s tip: Prepare the puff pastry bites up to the point of baking – just keep refrigerated, then bake when your guests arrive.