Beef & Veggie Pie – British Food Fortnight Event

Antonia from Food Glorious Food is organising a wonderful food event running from the 20th September until the 5th October for British Food Fortnight which is a celebration of the fantastically diverse range of foods produced in Britain. I spotted this event a little while back and just knew I had to partake and give my support in such a great event with seasonal British food, how could I not submit an entry!! I’m just skimming in here with the dead line *phew*....

My entry comes from my childhood when my mother would use up leftover roast beef from the Sunday roast for a family pie on a Monday. I think this was one of my favourite meals as a child. I would rush home from school to the smell of a freshly baked beef and veggie pie served with creamy mashed potatoes, steamed cabbage & gravy what joy this was. We never had any waste food in our house, everything mum would utilise into another dish.

Today in my family we still have roast beef on certain Sunday meals but alas we never seem to have any leftover roast beef to make my mum’s pie. I now use fresh British beef mince from my local butchers and seasonal veggies that I buy at my local greengrocers.

*If you don’t fancy making your own shortcrust pastry for any reason, a good shop brought one will be just as good for this pie*.

Beef & Veggie Pie

Ingredients
For Shortcrust Pastry
400g (14 oz) plain flour
100g (4 oz) butter
100g (4 oz) vegetable fat or lard
A pinch of salt
Ice cold water
For The beef & Veggie Filling
450g (1 lb) beef mince
2 onions, peeled and chopped into dice
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into dice
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped into dice
A quarter of a small swede, peeled chopped into dice
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped finely
A good splash of Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp of tomato puree
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
½ tsp chilli powder
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
200ml (7 fl oz) Beef stock
A little olive oil for frying
1 egg beaten with a little milk, to glaze the pie

You will also need a pie tin 20cm (8 in) round in size, greased with a little butter.

Method

Firstly make the pastry by adding the flour, salt, butter and vegetable fat to a large bowl. Rub through the mixture with your finger tips until it resembles fine bread crumbs. Add 1 tsp of cold iced water for each 25g (1 oz) flour in the recipe and bring together with a rounded knife. Form into a ball with your hands and wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to cool. *If you need to add a little more water to bring the pastry together again add a tsp at a time*.

Whilst the pastry is cooling, gently fry the onions and veggies until the onions and veggies are giving slightly but not brown. Fry the beef mince until brown add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, sweet smoked paprika, chilli powder and stir through then add the beef stock. Simmer slowly on the stove until the veggies and meat are soft and cooked through fully, and the stock is reduced to virtually zero, leaving a very moist filling. Season the filling with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Leave to cool slightly while you roll out the pastry.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

Cut a quarter off the pastry and leave aside for the lid. With the remaining pastry roll out on a floured surface until it is large enough to line the base and sides of the pie dish with a little overhang, gently prick the base with a fork making sure not to go through all the way and then fill the pie case with the filling. Roll out the remaining pastry large enough to fit as a lid. Brush the pie edge with the filling with a little egg glaze and place the pastry lid on top. Crimp the pastry around the edge to fully seal the pie and cut off any excess pastry. Re-roll any scraps of pastry and cut out shapes to stick on the pastry lid and brush over the pastry lid with egg glaze. Lastly place two slits in the lid with a sharp knife to let the steam out while baking. Place in the oven and bake for 25 – 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown on top. Cut and serve slices with seasonal veggies of choice and lashings of good beef gravy – believe me this tastes excellent and such a lovely comfort food to sit down and eat!

I was also going to share this recipe with ‘dear’ Ivy at Kopiaste, to Greek hospitality for her Savoury Pie Event but alas, I have had family staying and then unfortunately I caught an awful cold and cough and regrettably missed the posting dead line, sorry Ivy!

Edit - Thank you Ivy for allowing my entry into your Savoury Pie Event - so very kind of you :)

Portuguese Custard Tarts

Portuguese Custard Tarts

Showing the texture of the custard

I really enjoy watching food programmes on television to utter dismay of my family at times! I find food programmes can be an inspiration to try something different or even a base for creating ideas to try out. Anyway I digress, Bill Granger’s programme is airing on BBC 1 on a Saturday morning here in the U.K. at present. Bill came up with a recipe for Portuguese Custard Tarts, which took my attention like a rabbit caught in headlights *giggle*. I knew I had to try these little beauties out having never eaten one before! All that is need to make them is, some butter puff pastry with a simple filling of egg yolks, caster sugar, cornflour, double cream, milk and a little vanilla extract, which makes 12 sized muffin tarts. I used a pastry ring cutter to cut my pastry out as I found this to be the exact size for my muffin tin holes but authentically you just roll the pastry and lay each round in the muffin tin holes. The only adaptation I made to this recipe was, to sprinkle icing sugar over the custard filling five minutes before the end of baking time to enhance a golden colour of the custard.

I can now tell you that these little innocent looking custards are dangerously more-ish so be warned if you happen also to bake up a batch! The pastry has a beautiful crisp texture and the custard is of a sweet smooth lushness. I know these little beauties will be making an appearance many more times in my household.

If you would like to make some of Bill Granger’s Portuguese Custard Tarts here is the [link] for them.

Sausage Platt

This sausage platt is one of my families favourite comfort foods and so very versatile in how it can be served. It can be eaten hot or cold, served with a crisp salad or creamy mash and veggies. Of course my platt can be made with shop brought puff pastry, which will be equally as delicious without compromising any flavours or textures!

Living in Lincolnshire and being able to source out the “Real McCoy” of Lincolnshire sausages, my family are familiar with the flavour of herbs and spices in our sausage meat. I have tried to recreate in my recipe those flavours that we enjoy and have become accustomed too. The small quantity of lemon zest in this recipe lifts all the flavours to enhance the herbs and spices, so please don’t be afraid to add this.

Sausage Platt
Flaky pastry
175g (6 oz) Plain flour
A pinch of salt
5og (2 oz) softened butter
50g (2 oz) softened vegetable shortening or lard
4 tbsp iced cold water
For The Filling
1 small onion, chopped very finely
450g (1 lb) good quality sausage meat
50g (2 oz) fresh breadcrumbs
½ tsp zest from a lemon
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried sage
1 tsp parsley
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
A grating of fresh nutmeg (be careful not to over power with too much)
1 beaten egg

Extras
A little butter /oil for frying
A little egg wash for the top of the pastry

You will need a large baking tray very lightly greased with butter. A shaped cutter of choice (optional)

To make the pastry, sieve the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Divide the fats into four portions. Add the first portion to the flour and salt rubbing in with your fingertips until all incorporated. Next add the water and form into a ball. Sprinkle the work surface with a little flour and roll the pastry out into an oblong strip about 13cm (5 ins) wide. On the top half of the pastry facing you, dot the second portion of fat three-quarters of the way down then fold three-quarters over and then the quarter over seal the edges with your rolling pin and place in the fridge for 10 minutes to rest. Remove from the fridge and half turn the pastry and roll it out again to an oblong like before and repeat adding the third portion folding and chilling as before, lastly repeat again with half turn using the fourth and final portion of fat, rolling and chilling. Leave in the fridge until required.

For The Filling, in a frying pan place a little butter or oil and fry the onion gently until soft but not coloured. Leave aside to go completely cold. Place all the other ingredients into a bowl (except the egg wash) and work through with clean hands until incorporated.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

Roll out the pastry into an oblong and each side make slits leaving the top edge and bottom edge and middle free of any slits. Place the meat mixture down the centre and fold each top and bottom flap over then cross the strips of pastry over sticking down with a little egg wash. Roll out any scraps of pastry and cut with the shaped cutters and stick down on the top with egg wash. Finally egg wash all over the pastry top and sides. Lift onto a baking tray carefully with a fish slice and bake in the preheated oven for about 35 – 45 minutes or until the meat juices are running clear and the pastry is golden brown. Drain off any excess fat into a bowl to cool to either throw away or use for roast potatoes.

Serve hot or cold with a crispy salad or creamy mash and veggies.

Treacle Tart

Slice of Treacle Tart

As you gather my family adore traditional puddings/desserts, I must be in my tart mode at the moment *giggle*. Treacle Tart is a simple but wonderful pudding for those winter days when you feel you need something to comfort and warm you. This tart can be served hot or cold and my family enjoy lashings of custard served with it.

Serves 6 –8

Treacle Tart

Ingredients
I sweet shortcrust pastry case, (from the scraps of pastry make strips of pastry for a lattice top)
For The Filling
6 tbsp golden syrup
175ml (6 fl oz) double cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
55g (2 oz) ground almonds
125g (4½ oz) breadcrumbs – made from day old white bread, crusts removed
A little egg wash of 1 egg yolk and a little milk to glaze the pastry strips


You will need a 23cm (9 in) fluted bottomed flan tin, greased with butter. Non-stick baking paper and baking beans, baking tray.

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

* For the sweet shortcrust pastry case follow instructions from my Trio Tart of Pears, Chocolate & Cinnamon. *

In a saucepan add the golden syrup and heat gently on the stove. In a large mixing bowl add the cream and beaten eggs and mix together. Now, add the lemon zest and juice followed by the warm golden syrup, mixing well in. Lastly add the breadcrumbs and ground almonds to the mixture and combine all the ingredients well together with a large metal spoon. Pour the mixture into the pre-baked sweet shortcrust pastry case.

With your chilled strips of pastry lay across the top of the tart, you can twist the strips or leave them straight making sure they are sealed each ends to the pastry case. Brush the lattice pastry strips with a little egg wash.

Place the tart into the oven on a baking tray and bake for about 25 – 30 minutes or until golden in colour.

Serve with custard, ice cream or crème fraiche

Trio Tart of Pears, Chocolate & Cinnamon

Cooling from just coming out of the oven

I didn’t intend on making another chocolate bake so soon but I couldn’t let a Challenge slip by especially when chocolate is involved!

On the Cooks Journal Forum, there’s a TCJ Challenge for using 3 ingredients and for this month it’s pear, chocolate & cinnamon. The rules are that you must make a dish that incorporates ALL 3 ingredients. You can make a starter, main, dessert, pudding, cocktail. Entries must be submitted by the 1st February. You don’t need your own blog to join in with this challenge.

I toyed with ideas what I could submit for this challenge. It wasn’t until I ventured into the kitchen that creativeness was taken over in making my Trio Tart of Pears, Chocolate & Cinnamon. The base is sweet short-crust pastry with a hint of cinnamon combining a layer of sliced pears and a mousse chocolate filling with heart shaped pastry cut-outs. Of course I had to sample a slice, my spoon slid into silky smooth mousse and tender pear slices and crisp pastry! All I can say it was supreme pleasure on a spoon!

Showing a slice of the tart

Trio Tart of Pears, Chocolate & Cinnamon

Serves 8

Ingredients
For The Sweet Short-crust Pastry
175g (6 oz) plain flour
75g (3 oz) cold butter
Pinch of salt
25g (1 oz) caster sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
1 egg yolk
You may need a little iced water
For The Fruit Filling
411g can of pears, drained and sliced
For The Chocolate Filling
5 egg yolks
50g caster sugar
200g (8 oz) Green & Blacks Butterscotch chocolate
275ml (½ pint) double cream
½ tsp cinnamon
Pinch of grated nutmeg

You will need a 23cm (9 in) fluted bottomed flan tin, greased with a little butter. A baking tray to place the flan tin on, non-stick baking paper and baking beans for baking the flan pastry case blind.

Method

For The Sweet Short-Crust Pastry, sieve the flour, salt and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl then add the cold butter cut into cubes. Rub through with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs then add the sugar and gently work through. Add the egg yolk and with a rounded knife bring the mixture together, you may need to add a little drizzle of iced water to form into a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for half an hour.

Lightly sprinkle a work surface with flour and roll out the pastry in a circle large enough to fit the flan tin. Roll the pastry up onto your rolling pin carefully and unroll onto the flan tin. Easing the sides of the pastry in to fit. Roll over the top the top of the flan tin with your rolling pin, which will leave a straight edge. Take the scrapes of pastry for cut outs for the top and place aside for later. Place the fridge for about 30 minutes to chill.

Preheat oven 200°C/fan 180°C/400°F/Gas mark 6

Now the pastry has chilled, place the flan tin onto a baking tray and lightly prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork. Take a large circle of non-stick baking paper and place this into the flan tin on top of the pastry, then add the baking beans on top. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. The pastry will not be fully cooked through at this stage. Remove the paper and baking beans.

Whilst the pastry is blind baking start on the filling, you will need a large heatproof bowl to sit over the top of a saucepan filled with a little water barley simmering to melt the chocolate. The bowl must not touch the water. Place the chocolate in broken up pieces into the bowl to melt; it may take up to 10 minutes to melt fully, then leave aside to cool a little. In a large mixing bowl add the egg yolks and sugar whisking them together a little. Next add the cream to the egg and sugar mixture also whisking this through. Lastly add the cinnamon and grated nutmeg and chocolate whisking through until all combined.

Lower the oven temperature 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

Fully layer the pastry base with the drained sliced pears and pour over the chocolate filling. Place the cut out shapes of pastry gently on top of the filling. Place into the lower temperature oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until the chocolate filling is set in the middle.

Leave to cool in the flan tin until fully cold before removing onto a plate and cutting into slices. If you place this tart into the fridge to keep for a day, bring out 30 minutes before serving to come up to room temperature.

Rosie’s Chocolate Pie

A Slice of Rosie's chocolate pie

I really wanted to invent something chocolatey to share with you after tantalising you with my Pink Champagne truffles yesterday. I do hope this makes up for it! I aimed for a light orange flavoured sweet pastry, for the filling a silky smooth choc-orange texture with good flavour. I used Green & Black’s Milk Chocolate because I didn’t want a bitter taste had I used a darker chocolate. Another avenue could be to use orange flavoured chocolate all the way through my recipe.

All the family have now eaten a slice of my new recipe of chocolate pie and gave enthusiastic reviews; so now I can safely share with you knowing it’s as delicious as I aimed for in my mind's eye.

Rosie’s Chocolate Pie

Serves 6 –8

Ingredients
For The Orange Sweet Pastry
175g (6 oz) plain flour
50g (2 oz) cold butter
25g (1 oz) Trex vegetable shortening
Pinch of salt
1 tsp orange finely grated orange zest
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 egg yolk
Ice cold water
For The filling
200g (8 oz) good quality milk chocolate
25g (1 oz) butter
150ml (5 fl oz) Jersey Cream at room temperature
4 tbsp Cointreau Orange liqueur
Decoration
A little grated chocolate – milk or orange flavoured
A few coloured sprinkles (optional)
Whipped cream for piping (optional)
Silver balls (optional)

You will need a 23cm (9 in) fluted loose-bottomed flan tin, greased with a little butter. A baking tray to place the flan tin on in the oven. Baking paper and baking beans, for baking the flan pastry blind.

Method

For the pastry; Sieve the flour and salt into a mixing bowl then add the butter, Trex, sugar and orange zest. Rub the fat through the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Now add the egg yolk and with a rounded knife mix this through and the mixture should start to clump together. Bring the clumps into a ball, if the mixture is not coming together add a few drops of ice-cold water, be careful not to add too much you don’t want sticky dough. Too much water makes for a heavy pastry it wont be tender and light. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Lightly sprinkle a work surface with a little flour and unwrap your pastry and roll it out into a circle large enough to fit the flan tin. Roll the pastry up onto your rolling pin carefully, and then gently unroll over the flan tin easing the sides of the pastry in to fit. Roll over the top of the flan ring with your rolling pin; this will give you a neat cut edge. Place the flan tin into the fridge to rest and chill for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

When the pastry has chilled place the flan tin onto the baking sheet lightly prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork. Take a large circle of baking paper and place into the flan tin on top of the pastry, and then add the baking beans on top. Place into the oven to bake blind for 25 minutes taking care the pastry does not over brown we are looking for a golden colour.

Remove from the oven and remove the baking paper and baking beans and place back into the oven for about 5 minutes to finish baking. [Take care the pastry doesn’t burn with having sugar added to it.] Leave to cool on a wire rack before removing from the tin onto a serving plate.

To make the chocolate filling; you will need a large heatproof bowl to sit over the top of a saucepan filled with a little water barley simmering. The bowl must not touch the water. Place the chocolate broken into smallish pieces and butter into the bowl to melt, it may take up to 10 minutes, do not stir. When melted take off the heat and with a wooden spoon drizzle in the cream mixing in well then take a hand whisk and whisk through adding the Cointreau lastly to the chocolate mixture. Place the chocolate mixture into the cold pastry case and smooth over with a spatula. Place into the fridge to chill and when chilled enough; lastly decorate with the grated chocolate, sprinkles and piped cream and silver balls if using.

It is quite a rich chocolate pie so hopefully it should cut into 6 – 8 slices.

Note: Any scraps of pastry can be re-rolled into a circle and add a little jam in the centre, then fold into a pastie shape, sealed, egg washed and bake off in the oven on a baking tray – cooks treats!

Rosie’s Mince Pies

Tradition since being a child has been to bake mince pies at Christmas time. I would stand on a stool each Christmas Eve at my mother’s side helping stamp out the pastry cases and filling them with rich mincemeat. This is where I learned to make shortcrust pastry, although my mother would always use self-raising flour instead of plain flour. I now use half plain and half self-raising flour and this gives a wonderful short pastry. Another trick with this pastry is not to overload it with too much water; too much water leads to a heavy not light pastry. I have given in the ingredients here for all plain flour, but I fully recommend the half and half of flours that I use these days in my mince pies.

Eaten whilst still warm with a little rum butter oozing down the side of a mince pie is sheer wantonness; I’m not complaining for one second *giggle* bring it on I say!!

Rosie’s Mince Pies

Makes 12

Ingredients
For The Shortcrust Pastry
255g (8 oz) plain flour
Pinch of salt
50g (2 oz) cold butter, cut into small cubes
50g (2 oz) cold lard or Trex vegetable shortening, cut into small cubes
Cold water
Extra flour for dusting the work surface
For The Filling
A small jar of homemade mincemeat or good quality shop brought mincemeat
To Glaze
1 egg yolk & a little water, beaten together for egg washing
A little icing sugar, for dusting

You will need a 12-hole patty tin, greased with a little butter. 2 round pastry cutters, (one large enough to fit the base of your patty tin and another for the tops of the mince pies). Optional for pastry tops, a star cutter, lattice pastry cutter.

Method

Sieve the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, add the cubed butter and lard or Trex vegetable shortening. With fingertips rub the fats through the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, don’t over mix you don’t want clumps. Sprinkle just enough cold water over the mixture to form into a dough that leaves the sides of the bowl clean. (I like to form the dough together firstly with a knife cutting through the mixture until it starts to clump together, then finish by bringing it together with my hands into one large ball.) Flatten into a disc and wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

Sprinkle a work-surface or marble slab with a little flour, unwrap the pastry from the fridge and cut it in half leaving one half to one side. Taking one half of the pastry roll out as thinly as possible. Cut out enough circles of pastry with the larger pastry cutter as you can, you will need 12 circles. Re-roll the scraps and cut out the remaining quantity if need be. Place each pastry circle carefully into the base of each patty tin hole. Add a teaspoonful of mincemeat into each pastry base and dampen the edges with a little cold water.

Roll out the second half of the pastry as thinly as possible. Cut out your desired pastry top and place over the mincemeat. If cutting a smaller circle for the top, seal down the edges with your fingertips and make two slits into the lid near the centre. Brush over each pastry top with a little egg wash, then place into the preheated oven near to the top and bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until the pastry is a golden in colour.

Place the mince pies onto a wire rack to cool and dust with icing sugar. Leave to fully cool before storing them away in an airtight tin.

Note. If you don’t fancy making your own pastry you could buy it in all ready-made.

I would recommend if buying ready-made mincemeat, to add a couple of spoonfuls of brandy or dark rum and mix this through thoroughly before filling the pastry cases.

This recipe can be doubled without any problem to make 24 mince pies if baking for a larger family / guests.

Cranberry Bakewell Tart

Cranberry Bakewell Tart

Showing a slice of the Cranberry Bakewell Tart

As you may recall from one of my pervious posts I had been busy making Cranberry & Port Preserve. I had promised myself this year that I would bake from Nigella Lawson’s "Feast cookbook" - the Cranberry Bakewell Tart. Link for the recipe on line. [Link Here].

The pastry to this tart has a good crisp texture with the flavour of almond flowing through, followed by a layer of cranberry jam or in my case Cranberry & Port Preserve, last but not least a wonderful clementine infused iced topping. If you haven’t any gold sugar stars to decorate the top, you could cut out little stars in marzipan for decoration making the almond theme extended. This tart makes a gorgeous festive dessert and one that would look perfect served at this time of year!

Oggies – Traditional Cornish Pasties

I have very fond memories of a holiday taken in Bude Cornwall where a wonderful little bakery shop was found turning out the Traditional “Oggy” Cornish Pasty. You know when something is excellent by the queues of people waiting just not inside the shop, but also spilling out onto the street for that just baked pasty coming out of their ovens. The pasties would be placed into paper bags and eaten by me and my family sat by the sea while still warm, with mouth-watering shortcrust pastry, tender little chunks of meat and vegetables, what delectable delight that was.

I have tried to recreate here those fond memories in my own pasties, isn’t it strange how food can enchant you back to pervious times! To think this was the traditional packed lunch for the tin miners in Cornwall. I am lead to believe one end of the pasty would be filled with meat and veggies and the other end filled with jam or fruit.


Oggies - Cornish Pasties

Makes 4

Ingredients
For The Shortcrust Pastry
450g (1 lb) plain flour
100g (4 oz) butter
100g (4 oz) vegetable shortening or lard
Pinch of salt
Cold water to mix, I use 1 tsp for every 25g (1 oz) of flour used
1 egg yolk with a little water, egg wash for glazing the pastry
For The Filling
350g (12 oz) stewing beef , chopped into small pieces
1 raw potato, cut into very small dice
Raw swede about the same amount as potato, cut into very small dice
Small onion, sliced into very small dice
Sal & pepper
4 small-diced pieces of butter
A little flour for sprinkling onto the meat

Method

You will need a large baking tray, lined with non-stick paper. Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/425°F/Gas mark 7.

To make the pastry, in a food processor add the flour, butter, vegetable shortening or lard. Blitz together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the cold water and blitz again until it forms into a ball. Take out of the food processor and wrap in cling film and place in the fridge until chilled. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm (1/4 in). With a side plate as a template cut round until you have 4 circles, (you may need to re-roll the pastry).

For The Filling. Firstly divide the vegetables into 4 and also the meat. Place in the centre of each circle of pastry, half of the divided vegetables then the meat season with salt and pepper a sprinkle of flour and the remaining vegetables. With a pastry brush egg wash all the way around the outside rim of the pastry, and gently bring the pastry together at the top. Crimp the pastry top with your thumb and forefinger. Place on the prepared baking tray and make a little slit in the top to allow the steam to escape when cooking. Lastly give the pasties a good glaze of egg wash and place into the preheated oven.

Cook for 20 minutes at the stated oven temperature, and then lower the oven temperature down to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4, and cook for a further 40 minutes. If the pastry appears to becoming too brown, place a sheet of baking paper loosely over the top of the pasties to help prevent them from burning.

Serve hot or cold.

Note. If you don’t want to make your own shortcrust pastry there are some good ready-made pastry’s you can buy now.

Historic Eccles Cakes

You just know when something is worth its weight in gold in the baking stakes, and Eccles cakes are one of them. These little delights have been around since the late 1700’s and were being sold at that time by James Birch from his little corner shop in Eccles, England. Just let your mind wander into the delights of dried fruit & mixed candied peel, soft brown sugar, butter and spice encased in mouth watering buttery puff pastry. This gorgeous delight is what awaits in this bake. I take the easy route and buy my puff pastry these days. Even pastry chefs who have trained in this art have been known to do the same too! My recipe may not be 100% spot on to the original but just as delicious.

Eccles Cakes

Makes about 10

Ingredients
500g (1 lb 2 oz) pack of butter puff pastry, (I used only half and froze the rest)
25g (1 oz) soft butter
25g (1 oz) soft brown sugar
25g (1 oz) mixed candied peel, chopped
50g (2 oz) currants
½ tsp mixed spice
1 egg white
Caster sugar for the topping

You will need 2 baking trays greased or lined with non-stick mats, a round pastry cutter measuring 10cm (4 in).

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

In a bowl mix the butter, brown sugar, candied peel, currants and mixed spice.

On a lightly floured surface roll out half the quantity of puff pastry (as stated in the ingredients) thinly and cut out 10 circles measuring 10cm (4 in) each.

In the middle of each pastry circle place a teaspoonful of the mixture and draw the edges together to meet the middle and completely seal in all the filling. Turn over so the join is underneath and roll out with a rolling pin until the currants are just showing.

Place onto the prepared baking trays and leave to rest for about 10 minutes in a cool place.

With a sharp knife make three slits on top of each cake, then brush each one with egg white and sprinkle caster sugar over the top.

Place into the preheated oven and cook for about 15 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Pumpkin pie

In keeping with my Halloween Theme I wanted to bake something with pumpkin in it. Now I’ve always been inquisitive as to how Pumpkin Pie would taste? Now having baked and tasted my first slice I fully understand what all the hype is about in America!! This pie is amazing and I have been missing out on what our friends over the pond have known for years, just how good this pie is!! It’s smooth velvetiness of sweet spicy delight, will be gracing my table many more years to come! It’s been such a huge hit with the family too so much so that the pie dish is now empty.

Pumpkin Puree - just look at that fabulous colour!

Here is my recipe

Pumpkin pie

Ingredients
For The Pastry
110g (4 oz) plain flour
25g (1 oz) cold butter
25g (1 oz) vegetable shortening or lard
4 –6 cold water
For The Filling
½ large pumpkin, deseeded and cut into wedges – makes 300g (11 oz) puree
1tsp ground cinnamon

½tsp ground ginger

½tsp ground nutmeg

150g(5 oz) soft dark brown sugar

2tbsp maple syrup

2 large eggs

150ml (5 fl oz) double cream

I used a greased Pyrex pie plate that measured 22cm (8½ in) diameter & 4cm (1½ in) deep

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

To Make The Pumpkin Puree, In a baking tray add the wedges of pumpkin and just a little water to stop the pumpkin from drying out. Bake in the oven until soft. When cool enough to handle, take off the skins and puree the pumpkin flesh in a food processor (you should have about 300g (11 oz) puree). Over a bowl, pour the puree into a sieve to drain of any water and leave to one side.

Turn the oven down to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.

To make the pastry, in a food processor add the flours, butter, vegetable shortening or lard. Blitz together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the cold water and blitz again until it forms into a ball. Take out of the food processor and wrap in cling film and place in the fridge until chilled. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to line the pie dish. Cut off the over hang of pastry and pick the bottom of the pastry base with a fork lightly. Line with baking paper and place baking beans on top then place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove the baking beans and baking paper and put back in the oven for a further 5 minutes.

To Make The Filling, in a clean bowl added the drained pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and soft dark brown sugar and then mix thoroughly through. In another bowl whisk the eggs and cream together until fully combined. Add this to the pumpkin mixture and mix in well. Add to pastry case and bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until the centre is fully set.

Leave to cool on a wire rack and cut into slices to serve with cream or ice cream.

Green & Black’s Chocolate-Crusted Lemon Tart

I am a self-confessed chocoholic and what better way to celebrate my addiction than with a cookbook, published from Green & Black’s Unwrapped from the Cacao pod to muffins, mousses and moles. Absolutely jam-packed with delicious recipes covering cakes, bread, savouries, biscuit, tarts, soufflé, drinking chocolate etc. For anyone who adores chocolate this cookbook is an absolute delight! After all it’s been reported in the media that chocolate is good for you, I’m definitely not one to disagree with this verdict!

As you gather from my recipes, I also adore lemon flavoured bakes and flicking through this book I hit on a perfect recipe, Chocolate-crusted Lemon Tart. It has a rich chocolate pastry base with more chocolate grated over the top and a deep luscious lemon filling. The combo of chocolate and lemon works like a dream and this is one cheeky tart that definitely holds its muster in the dessert stakes.

Chocolate-Crusted Lemon Tart

You will find the recipe for this tart with a few other delicious recipes of Green & Blacks on this link.

Steak and Onion Suet Pudding

If you’re looking for pure comfort food look no further, this has all the traditional homemade comforts you could wish for in a main meal. Melt in the mouth tender chunks of steak with soft onions in its own meaty gravy, encased in soft luxurious suet pastry. Served with creamy mashed potatoes and vegetables here is a match made in heaven. It may take a little time to cook in a steamer but as long as it’s not left to boil dry, you can leave the pudding to steam away while you have time for yourself. You must try this sometime for you and your family.

Steak and Onion Suet Pudding

Ingredients

For The Suet pastry

225 g (8 oz) self-raising flour

110 g (4 oz) shredded suet, (I use vegetable suet)

110 ml (4 fl oz) water, (you may not need all this water)

½ tsp of salt

For The Filling

450 g (1lb) lean braising steak

Flour for coating the braising steak

1 large onion
Worcestershire sauce

Salt & freshly ground black pepper
110ml (1/4 pint) good beef stock
A little water for sealing the pastry lid

Method

You will need a 1.2 litre (2 pint) greased pudding basin and a steamer.

In a bowl add the flour, suet, salt and water (you may not need all the water listed), then mix together until it forms into a ball. Cover the suet pastry in cling film and chill in the fridge for ½ hour. Chop the braising steak into approximately 5 cm (1 inch) cubes and remove all fat, (you only need the lean meat). Place some flour on a plate and then coat all the cubes of meat in the flour, shake off any excess.

Peel and chop the onion in half then slice into thin half slices.

Take the suet pastry from the fridge. Roll the pastry into a circle on a floured surface you will need it larger than the pudding bowl. Cut a triangle out of the circle and put to one side for later. Carefully take the rest of the pastry and line your pudding basin, making sure all edges are sealed well or the gravy will leak later when cooking.

With a quarter the meat place a good layer in the bottom of the basin. Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Next add half the onions then the half of the meat, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Onions again over the meat, finishing with the remaining meat, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Top up with the beef stock, but don’t over fill or the stock will burst out of the sealed top.

Take the triangle and roll into a circle large enough to fit the top of the basin for a lid. Wet the top edge of the pastry in the basin and lay the lid on top sealing well to keep all those lovely juices inside. With greased greaseproof paper make a pleat and put onto the pudding top. Cover over with a piece of pleated foil and tie with string around the covers and around the lip on the pudding basin so all is nice and secure so no water can get in.

Place the pudding into the trivet top of the steamer so it is not touching any water. Steams for approximately 4 – 4 ½ hours until meat is tender, remember to keep the steamer topped up with water so it doesn’t boil dry.

Serve with creamy mashed potatoes, veggies and lashings of extra homemade onion gravy.

Serves 4 – 6

Profiteroles with vanilla cream

What a blast I have had folks in the kitchen today! This was my first time of making profiteroles and it’s something that’s been on the backburner for me to bake for ages. They maybe not 100% perfect on the chocolate topping but that’s the beauty of homemade baking.

Making the choux pastry wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. I just needed good elbow grease, as my mother would have said. Beating vigorously to a glossy formed ball of pastry for the next stage of piping.

For the fun part, piping little rounds onto a lined baking tray and watching them rise and go golden in the oven. I did keep to the instructions of not bringing them out of the oven too soon to flop. Placed them on a wire rack to cool completely.

I whipped double cream, 5mls icing sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract (my only variation on the recipe) to a soft peek. I inserted the tip of a sharp knife into the cooled choux buns making a hole in each to pipe the vanilla cream. I knew when they were filled with a sufficient amount as the cream just peeks through the hole in the bun.

For the messy part, melt the chocolate in the microwave for a few minutes or on a double boiler on the stove. Now the chocolate has melted, dip each choux bun top in the chocolate. I left mine to cool and set before eating.

What would I alter next time of making these? I would adjust the chocolate to a sweeter one. My sweet tooth prevails here I’m afraid. Recipe here.

Egg & Bacon Pie

This is a blast from the past and very retro but something I’d forgotten could taste so good with just a few simple ingredients. Encased in a crisp pastry, slicing through three generous layers and the egg yolks peeking through like little golden trinkets in a blanket of succulent bacon, this is a delicious versatile pie. This pie has the advantage of being served hot or cold. Serve with whatever side dish(s) of choice.

I used a Pyrex pie plate; I find this is just the right size for my family. This could also be baked in baking tin with the same results. I used to have an enamel plate, which gave very good results too. I’m sure you’ll already have the correct dish in mind for this recipe. Here is the recipe:

Egg & Bacon Pie

Serves 4

Ingredients

For The Pastry
350g (12oz) plain flour, sifted
175g (6 oz) cold butter, cut into cubes
Pinch of salt
Ice-cold water to mix

For The Filling
12 rashers of lean bacon
6 eggs, break into a bowl and leave whole
Freshly ground black pepper
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon of water, for sealing and brushing the top of the pie

I used a greased Pyrex pie plate that measured 22cm (8½ in) diameter & 4cm (1½ in) deep. Baking paper, to place over the top of the pie whilst cooking to prevent the pastry browning too quickly.

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

Add the flour and cubes of cold butter into a large mixing bowl. With fingertips, gently rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Sprinkle approx 3 tablespoons of ice-cold water over the top of the mixture and with a rounded knife bring the pastry together into a ball. Add more water a little at a time if needed to combine the mixture altogether, be careful not to make the pastry too soggy though. Cut the pastry into two and flatten into circles and wrap each one with cling film and place in the fridge to rest for ay least half an hour.

Roll out the first circle of pastry on a floured surface and line the bottom of the pie dish. Next, line the bottom of the pastry with 6 rashes of bacon and carefully pour the 6 eggs from the bowl over the bacon. Carefully place the last 6 rashers over the eggs trying not to break the egg yolks at all. Roll out the second circle of pastry for the top of the pie on a floured surface. Trim off the pastry hanging over the edge of the dish. Place the pastry over the top and seal the edges well; you can add a little egg wash to help seal the edges together. Make two little slits in the top with a sharp knife to let the steam escape whilst cooking. With any scrapes of leftover pastry you can cut small shapes to decorate the pie top. Brush the pie top with a little egg wash and place on a tray to go into the oven.

Cook the pie on the bottom shelf in the preheated oven with the Baking paper over the top for 1 hour. Reduce the heat in the oven to 160°C/fan oven 140°C/325°F/Gas mark 3, and carry on cooking for a further 30 minutes or until cooked and the crust golden.

Place on a wire rack to cool if serving the pie cold.

This pie can be eaten hot or cold.

Note: The pastry can be made in a food processor. Add the flour and cubed butter blitz until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Down the funnel add the required ice-cold water and blitz until it forms into a ball. Remove and wrap in cling film as above instructions.