Mini Fruit Pies

Pastry is not as daunting as you think. Well, a simple shortcrust isn't. I've never attempted a puff and I suspicions I never will.

These little pies are very basic and you could use any number of fillings. Stewed apples, pears, berries, rhubarb and strawberry, a great variety of stone fruit... The combinations are limited only by your imagination. These ones are nectarine though from a jar I had sitting about in the cupboard.

I apologise for the lack of precise measurements, but in a way that's really the point of the recipe.

• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 3 tbsp margarine/soft butter
• squeeze lemon juice
• cold water
• 1 large jar/tin of stewed fruit
• 1 packet good quality puff pastry

Rub together flour and margarine with fingertips to form crumbs. Add squeeze of lemon to cup of water. Add a little water at a time until it comes together to form a soft dough. Knead lightly then roll out to 5mm thick.

For mini pies cut 10cm circles and slit to middle. Fit into muffin tins and blind bake (I used patty cases filled with my pie weights) at 180C for 10-15 minutes till cooked through and pale golden. 

For the pie filling, spoon in a generous tablespoon of stewed fruit (homemade or bought).

I used store bought puff pastry for the lids cut into 7cm circles (pricked with a fork in the centre) and fitted over the top. Bake for 10-15 mins until puffed up and golden. Doesn't matter if the juices come through a bit, they go all lovely and caramelised. 

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Perfection.

The Weekly Digest #19

1. The five rules of feminist cooking. Inspired by Nigella of course.
2. J. Mendel's spring/summer 2014 collection. The mix of hard, edgy lines and lace is a perfect match.
3. Cleansing Oils. They're the new it-product in skincare and I'm hooked! I've started using Nude Skincare's Perfect Cleanising Oil (available at Mecca Cosmetica) and after a fortnight I can really feel the difference. It's a strange way to cleanse, and I'm still getting used to it, but I really love it.
4. Pecans - I love them and try to include them in lots of my baking (from simple cookies to luscious breakfast muffins). I challenge you not to do the same after trying out these recipes: pecan cream cake, pecan pie ice-cream pie, poppy seed & nut granola, blackberry & pecan biscuits, and triple-choc pecan cookies.

 

Mini Quiches

Bored of sandwiches? Sick of salads? These mini quiches are great for lunches (with or without a side salad!). They can be filled with all sorts of bits and pieces you might have in the fridge: pumpkin, tomato, mushroom, spinach, zucchini, feta. They are a blank canvas for experimenting with the bits and bobs in the fridge. They take hardly any time at all, so you could whip them up in the morning for lunch that day. 

So for the mini quiches you will need:

• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 button squash (or equivalent of whatever filling you choose)
• 2 mushrooms (see above point)
• 1 sheet ready-made frozen puff pastry
• parmesan cheese (to grate over the top, so not much. Feta works well too.)

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease 6 holes in a muffin tin.

Cut pastry into 6 circles (10cm diameter and slit to the centre) and line tin. Finely chop vegetables and place in lined muffin tins. Whisk milk and egg in a small bowl then pour into muffin tin over vegetables.

Sprinkle with grated parmesan and bake for 15-20 minutes till golden brown and pastry has puffed up. Cool in tin for 5 minutes before lifting from tin.

Cool completely if storing them, or serve warm with a quick side salad (think simple - lettuce, avocado, tomato tossed with some balsamic vinegar).

You can use any number of filling combinations. Use your imagination (and whatever's left in the fridge!). Here's some of my favourites:

• baby spinach and feta
• pumpkin, rosemary and parmesan
• zucchini and feta/parmesan
• mushroom
• onion and bacon
• tomato, mushroom and onion

Ultimate health: fresh food, herbal tea & Harper's Bazaar

Jamie's Cornish Pasties

VINTAGE POST:

These are delish. Perfect warming weekend lunch. Very British, which makes them even better I think. From 'Jamie's Great Britain', his Early Autumn Cornish Pasties are well good.

Pastry:

• 500g plain flour
• sea salt
• 200ml water
• 250g cold unsalted butter
• 1 egg, beaten

Filling:

• 350g beef (he uses skirt, but rump or even gravy/shin beef is fine)
• 1 onion
• 1 potato
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 carrot, peeled
• 200g pumpkin (butternut is best), in 1cm cubes
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• salt and pepper
• sprig of rosemary
• sprig of thyme
• olive oil

Place flour and salt in a bowl. Cube butter and add, then rub with fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add water and quickly bring together.

Preheat oven to 200C. Cut meat and vege into 1cm cubes, combine in a bowl. Season and add nutmeg, tossing to coat. Finely chop the herbs and add to mixture. Drizzle with oil and set aside.

Cut pastry into 6 pieces. Dust a clean surface with flour and also dust your rolling pin (or large glass jar if you don't have one). Roll into rounds "the thickness of a pound coin" (basically the same as $1) and 22cm in diameter. Compact a small handful of filling using your hands and place in centre of pastry, leaving a border of at least 2cm around the edge. Brush edges with egg and either fold over to make a half-circle or bring both sides of the pastry together and pinch together at the top (like I did - see picture below). Repeat with remaining pastry rounds and place on a lined backing tray.

Brush with egg wash and cook 30-35 minutes until golden. 

Best enjoyed with generous amounts of tomato sauce and mustard.

I use the photos from the cookbook, firstly because they're better than mine & secondly because
I loved the layout of it. They look so edible!