Ryan Riley recipe for joy: Black olive, feta and honey twists

There’s something about a cheese straw that feels like home. I remember them crisping at the edges of my mother’s party platters, in between cubes of cheddar and sad slices of ham. Beige food, sunshine, and paper plates. But this. This is something else entirely.

Here, the humble cheese twist has its party outfit on. Salty bursts of feta and the briny hit of tapenade are mellowed by thick, velvety yoghurt. Then comes the mint – sharp, cooling, almost medicinal, cutting through the richness like a breeze through heavy air. There’s honey too, just enough to round out the flavours, and a crack of black pepper for heat.

They’re best served warm, golden and flaky from the oven, but just as good at room temperature with a glass of something cold. A dollop of lemon-thyme yoghurt on the side lifts them further still. Creamy, tangy, herbal. Make them ahead and keep them chilled until your guests arrive. They’ll never know how easy they were.

This is a recipe for brightening up long, cold days when the world feels a little heavy. A familiar form made new, every bite a little surprising, a little indulgent, and just right for eating with fingers.

Makes 8

100g black olive tapenade

200g feta, crumbled

2 tablespoons mint sauce

1 tablespoon runny honey

2 tablespoons full-fat extra-thick

Greek yoghurt, plus extra mixed

with a little runny honey and

lemon thyme leaves, then

chilled to serve

2 × 320g sheets of ready-rolled

puff pastry

1 tablespoon ground black

Pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan and line two baking trays with baking paper (or the sheet from the ready-rolled pastry, if you like).

In a mixing bowl, combine the tapenade, feta, mint sauce, honey and yoghurt until well combined.

Lay out one of the puff pastry sheets and spread the mixture evenly over the top, making sure the sheet is completely covered. Then, place the second sheet directly over, covering the mixture.

Transfer the sandwiched pastry onto one of the lined baking trays and put it into the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up.

Remove the baking tray from the fridge, then cut the sandwiched pastry lengthways into 8 equal strips. This is easiest if you use a knife to halve the sheets down the middle, then halve and halve again.

One at a time, take the strips and hold them at either end, gently twisting them 3 times. Place each twisted strip onto the other lined baking tray and sprinkle over the black pepper.

Place the strips into the oven and bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden and crispy. Serve with chilled, flavoured Greek yoghurt for dipping.