Name: Cob dip wreath
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 24
Ingredients: 24 brioche slider rolls; 50g salami, finely chopped; 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 120g baby spinach; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 250g cream cheese, softened; 300ml sour cream; Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season; 1/3 cup grated mozzarella; 1/4 cup caramelised onion; Watercress sprigs and assorted vegetable sticks, to serve

What could be better than a cob loaf on the table for Christmas? A bunch of mini cob loafs on the table for Christmas!

Cob dip wreath

The cob loaf is a standard starter dish at every Aussie’s Christmas table. This year, why not make it festive and create a tasty wreath of cob dip for your friends and family to enjoy! Top with caramelised onion and watercress, and this starter is ready to be gobbled up!

Ingredients

24 brioche slider rolls

50g salami, finely chopped

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

120g baby spinach

1 clove garlic, crushed

250g cream cheese, softened

300ml sour cream

Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season

1/3 cup grated mozzarella

1/4 cup caramelised onion

Watercress sprigs and assorted vegetable sticks, to serve

Method

Trim tops of each roll. Using a 4cm star-shaped cutter, cut stars from roll tops. Reserve stars, discard trimmings. Scoop bread from centre of each roll, leaving a 1cm edge. Reserve rolls and bread centres.

Preheat oven to 160°C fan-forced (180°C conventional). Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.

Heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Cook salami, stirring occasionally, until browned. Drain on paper towel.

Heat oil in same pan on medium heat. Add spinach and garlic. Cook, stirring, until spinach has wilted. Roughly chop.

Using a wooden spoon, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sour cream. Season. Stir well to combine. Stir in salami, spinach mixture and mozzarella. Spoon mixture into prepared rolls. Top with onion.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and heated through, adding stars and reserved bread centres (for extra dippy bits) to tray in final 5 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a large serving platter in the shape of a wreath.

Arrange stars on rolls. Arrange watercress around rolls, and serve with vegie sticks and dippy bits.

Where did the cob loaf come from?

While not many people seem to know when the cob loaf was invented (some think around 1970), we’re sure glad it was.

According to UK media, the word ‘cob’ could hail from a British term referring to cracknel made of fine flour; the English word for cot or cottage; the Welsh word for ‘top’; or the German word keubel meaning a bucket or large container.

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Kim Coverdale