Ingredients

• 250g/8oz ready-made shortcrust pastry
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 125g/4oz cherry tomatoes
• halved
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 1 garlic clove
• unpeeled
• halved
• 1 tsp crushed black peppercorns
• 8 sun-dried tomatoes
• 50g/2oz pitted black olives
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Roll the pastry out to a 0.25cm/â…›in thickness and cut out 24 circles from it using a 5cm/2in pastry cutter.
• Place the circles onto a baking tray and prick all over with a fork.
• Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes
• or until cooked through and golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile
• heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the tomatoes
• thyme leaves
• bay leaf
• garlic and crushed peppercorns. Fry gently for 4-5 minutes
• then remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Remove the bay leaf and garlic.
• Blend the sundried tomatoes and olives to a paste in a food processor
• then stir in the basil and season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• To assemble the canapés
• spread a little of the olive paste onto each pastry circle and top with a spoonful of tomato confit.