Name: Goat’s cheese and thyme cigars with marmalade
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 150g goat’s cheese; Finely grated zest of ½ small orange; ½ tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs to serve; Pinch of fine salt; 2 rectangular sheets of filo pastry; 25g butter, melted; 1 tbsp orange marmalade, softened if needed (see tip)

Goat’s cheese and thyme cigars with marmalade

Crisp filo cigars with tangy goat’s cheese, thyme and citrus.

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Makes 8 cigars

Prep

15M

Cook

15M

Total

30M

These goat’s cheese and thyme cigars from MasterChef finalist Karlie Verkerk are a standout savoury for entertaining. Creamy goat’s cheese is lifted with fragrant thyme and a hint of orange zest, then wrapped in delicate filo pastry for shatteringly crisp layers. A light brushing of butter ensures rich flavour and colour, while a gloss of marmalade adds a subtle sweet-citrus finish that balances the tangy filling. Quick to assemble and fast to bake, they’re ideal for morning or afternoon tea, pre-dinner drinks or special celebrations like Mother’s Day. Serve them hot from the oven, scattered with fresh thyme, and watch them disappear.

For more savoury afternoon tea ideas, check out these high tea sandwich recipes, these smoked salmon blinis or any of these canapés.

Ingredients

150g goat’s cheese

Finely grated zest of ½ small orange

½ tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs to serve

Pinch of fine salt

2 rectangular sheets of filo pastry

25g butter, melted

1 tbsp orange marmalade, softened if needed (see tip)

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).

In a medium mixing bowl, combine goat’s cheese, orange zest, finely chopped thyme and salt. Transfer cheese mixture to a ziplock bag and set aside until needed. Alternatively, use a small piping bag fitted with a round tip.

Layer the two sheets of filo pastry on top of each other then place them horizontally on a large chopping board. Cut the sheets in half lengthways, then in half crossways to make 8 rectangles.

Working with one rectangle at a time, brush the pastry generously with melted butter, being careful not to tear the delicate pastry.

Cut the corner off the ziplock bag, then, using it like a piping bag, pipe a line of the goat’s cheese mixture along the short edge of the filo rectangle. Fold the pastry once over the filling, then roll tightly to the end to form a cigar shape, sealing the edge with a little extra melted butter. Repeat with remaining filo pastry and filling to make 8 cigars in total.

Place cigars seam-side down on a lined baking tray, leaving space between each. Brush the cigars with the remaining butter, then lightly brush with the softened marmalade.

Bake for 12–15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Serve hot sprinkled with extra thyme leaves.

TIP

If the marmalade is very chunky, warm it briefly and stir to loosen so it brushes easily.

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Recipe Karlie Verkerk Food Writer

Karlie is a MasterChef finalist, home cook and food writer with more than 15 years of experience in print publishing. Before kids, she was the deputy editor at Australia’s beloved Gourmet Traveller magazine. She has also worked as a recipe developer and food stylist for many titles, including Home Beautiful, Woolworths Fresh, Real Living and Delicious magazines, among others. She now runs a recipe subscription service called Karlie’s Calendar, and publishes a newsletter that is filled with tried-and-tested recipes, helpful tips, techniques and the occasional travel or lifestyle story.

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