Cheese and Ham Pastry Ring

This is my favourite time of year, not just because school is back - although having a routine again is wonderful - but because it's just a really beautiful time of year. The leaves are beginning to turn on the trees around our house and the mornings are cool and crisp. 

With those cool mornings come the cool evenings and that's where this tasty dish come into it's own. It has only 3 ingredients and it bakes is 20 minutes or less! The perfect warming after school snack, I am cheating slightly with the pastry but when you are pushed for time and have hungry children waiting for something hot and filling to eat, then I think that it is only smart to have few tricks up your sleeve!   

How To Make Mince Pies

There is one thing that gets me in the festive mood, baking mince pies! They are the perfect treat on a cold day or catching up with old friends home for Christmas, all in front of an blazing open fire. My pies have to have a light crisp, sweet pastry and the filling with a splash of Brandy.

Jam Tarts

Long story short my son thinks that when the Vikings pillaged Ireland they came for, wait for it Jam Tarts! Now how, I hear you ask did he come up with that, well I have to say I am to blame!

Minced Beef Pie

This is an old fashioned Irish recipe that I got from an 1980's cookbook that was only sold abroad, titled Traditional Irish Recipes. My father is the owner of the copy I've been using and he guards it closely, I got it on loan on condition that I return it pretty sharpish because my mother got this copy in Haiti!
It is full of old recipes like Yellowman (honeycomb) and homemade buttermilk. I decided that this recipe was the most appealing and made it, but without the stout, it was a great success here and well worth the effort. My Pyrex dish is fairly large so I could have easily fed six adults and I've made a second pie and frozen it, I think I'll defrost it and then reheat it in the oven.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
500g - 750g Minced Beef
2tbsp Oil
1 Onion, chopped
1tbsp Tomato puree
1 ½ tbsp Plain flour
75g Mushrooms, chopped (Optional)
250ml Stout or Beef stock
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
250g - 350g Ready rolled shortcrust pastry or Step- by- step handmade shortcrust pastry.

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Grease and flour an ovenproof pie dish. My glass Pyrex dish is 22cm across and 4cm deep so it took all 750g of the beef to fill the dish, if your dish isn't as deep then 500g should be enough. I greased and floured the dish in order to slip the pie out of the dish to serve.
Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion until soft. Add the beef and cook for 6-7 minutes until completely browned. Stir in the tomato puree and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour, add the stock and a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce, stirring all the time. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat to cool.

Meanwhile roll out two thirds of the pastry fairly thinly and larger that your pie dish.

Gently drape the pastry over the dish and press into the edges.

Trim the edges with a sharp knife, pour the slightly cooled minced beef into the pie dish. Brush around the edges of the dish with the beaten egg.

Roll out the remaining pastry and lay on top, trim with a knife, press down firmly with a fork until the lid is sealed.

Cut a X to let out the steam, brush with the beaten egg and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Pumpkin Pie with a Twist

Here in Ireland we don't have pumpkins available in our supermarkets until a week or two before Halloween, so to get around that problem I've found this recipe. The main ingredient is Butternut Squash which is more widely available and for longer. I bought two small squashes which was enough for three pies, so I just froze the remaining mix for another day. I've never tasted proper Pumpkin Pie so I can't compare (perhaps could help me out here) but I promise you that this is just delicious.

Serves 6-8
Ingredients
200-300g Peeled and cubed butternut squash
145g Soft brown sugar
8g Cornflour
1 Egg, beaten
235ml Evaporated milk, pouring cream or sour cream
1/2tsp Ground cinnamon
1/4tsp Ground allspice
1/4tsp Ground cloves
1/4tsp Ground ginger
1/4tsp Ground nutmeg
250g Shortcrust pastry

Method
Place squash in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and simmer over medium heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, and cool. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Liquidise or whisk the butternut squash, brown sugar, cornflour, egg, milk or cream, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg together until smooth.

 

Line a 20cm (8inch) deep pie dish with the pastry, trimming the excess. Pour the filling in and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer/knife comes out clean when inserted in the centre.

 

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Mini Chocolate Eclairs

I had forgotten how easy these were to make. They are made from a pastry that in my mind has suffered some bad press for being difficult to make. If you are new to Eclairs and Profiteroles they are made from Choux (pronounced shoe) pastry and then filled with fresh cream, topped with plain chocolate.The profiteroles are usually served after dinner with hot chocolate sauce poured over, the Eclairs are perfect with a cup of coffee. I won't judge you if you eat the whole batch yourself, but it is acceptable in polite society to share!

Makes 14-16

Ingredients
50g Butter
150ml Cold Water
65g Plain flour, sifted
2 Medium eggs
250ml Whipped cream
100g Dark chocolate, melted

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/350F/ Gas Mark 5 and line two large baking tray with baking paper. Heat the butter and water in a small saucepan until the butter is melted. Bring to the boil.

Remove from the heat and using a wooden spoon beat in all the flour at once. When the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan, allow to cool slightly.

Then add an egg at a time until they're incorporated.

The pastry should be smooth and silky when both eggs are beaten in.

Place the pastry into a piping bag and pipe 5cm lengths and bake for 14-16 mins or until golden brown (don't be tempted to peep into the oven while they are baking or you'll have very flat eclairs!!).

Cool on a wire rack and slit with a sharp knife to let the steam out otherwise they will collapse.

When cool fill with the whipped cream and top with the melted chocolate.

Alternatively you could pipe walnut size blobs on your tray for Profiteroles. If you decide to make profiteroles, once piped wet your finger and push down any spikes to prevent them from burning in the oven. Cook in the same way as the eclairs.

Handmade Shortcrust Pastry Step-by-Step

This is  step-by-step instructions of how to make shortcrust pastry, because for some it seems to be impossible. I think that with this explanation it will help dispels all those fears. This is the pastry used for apple tart, pork pies, empanadas or for those with a sweet tooth some jam tarts. This keeps for a couple of days in the fridge or in the well wrapped up in the freezer for three months.

Makes 1kg

Ingredients

500g Plain Flour

250g Stork Block Margarine

250ml Cold Water

Method

Weigh the flour, dice the margarine into cubes and tip both into a large bowl.



 

 

With the tips of your fingers rub the margarine into the flour, lifting the mixture up to let get some air into the finished pastry.When your are finished you should have what is commonly referred to as the breadcrumb stage.


 

Add the COLD water a little at a time and mix with a knife, you can stop adding the water when the mixture comes together with no extra flour remains at the bottom of the bowl.

Get your hands into the bowl for the last part and bring everything together.
 

Now after all that work it is time for the pastry to "rest".Wrap it in clingfilm and chill it for 30 minutes before rolling out is the best method. Flatten it our so that it chills evenly.

Now roll out your pastry on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin and use it for whatever catches your fancy.

Individual Pork Pies

These are inspired by Kevin Dundon and SuperValu's recipe cards. I've simplified it some what for a working day meal fix. Use the best pork sausages you can afford and perhaps some flavoured ones for special occasions. They are delectable hot but just a nice cold and if you're entertaining they can be made in a Muffin tin for Canapes. I serve this with baby potatoes, halved, seasoned and baked alongside the pies and green salad.


Makes 4

Ingredients
454g Luxury pork Sausages
400g - 500g Ready made Shortcrust pastry
1 tbsp dried herbs
1 tbsp milk or 1 beated egg

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C degrees and grease and flour 4 ramekins. The addition of the flour helps unmould the cooked pies. Oil each ramekin first and the shake a 1tbsp of plain flour around the bottom and sides of the ramekin, catch the excess flour in your cupped hand.

Line the ramekins with the pastry leaving enough pastry for the four lids.

Cut the sausages open and mix with the herbs and place the filling into the pastry lined ramekins. Wet the edges and stick the lid on, pressing together to prevent the lovely juices from escaping. Brush with the milk or egg and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Variation: To bulk out the sausagemeat or sneek some vegetables into the mix, try adding 100g grated carrot and a grated onion (pictured). Sometimes I buy Garlic and Herb sausages and they are only 340g so a handful of breadcrumbs pad out the filling and my ramekins are slightly larger than most!

Reminds Me Of Home Apple Tart

This was the one recipe that I remember from home the most, it hot from the oven and with sweet custard. My mother had a tin plate that was black from use but it didn't diminish the taste in any way!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
400g Shortcrust Pastry or ready rolled pastry
2 Large Cooking Apples
3 tbsp Light Brown Sugar
Pinch of Cinnamon
2 tbsp Milk

Method
Preheat the oven to 230ºC/450ºF/Gas Mark 8 and grease a 24cm round ovenproof plate.

Roll out one third of the pastry on a lightly floured surface and line the oven proof plate. Core, peel and thinly slice apples and layer onto the plate. Sprinkle with the sugar.

Roll out the remainder of the pastry, use a pastry brush to brush the bottom layer with milk and place the lid on top. Use your fingers to seal the two layers and trim.

Cut an X to let the seam out and brush all over with the remainder of the milk.

Place on an oven baking tray (to catch any escaping juices) and bake at 230ºC/450ºF/Gas Mark 8  for 10 minutes reduce the temp to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4 and bake for further 25 minutes.

Serve with fresh whipped cream, custard or ice-cream.

All in One Shortcrust Pastry

This is the key to many recipes sweet or savoury. I keep a batch in the freezer all the time, but I am not adverse to buying ready made for those days when I'm in a hurry.

Makes approx 650-700g

Ingredients
400g Plain flour
200g Stork Block Margarine
5-6tbsp Cold Water


Method
Place all the ingredients in a food processor with the blade attachment, whizz until the ingredients come together, add a more water if needed. Tip onto a large sheet of cling film, wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes. Gently knead before rolling out. The pastry will keep in the fridge for two days or freeze for up to three month.

Quick Fix Apple Slice

 

This is a very handy store cupboard back up. I usually have a packet or two of Aldi's puff pastry in the freezer (which defrosts in a couple of hours) and an the apple that might have been passed over a few times suits this job perfectly.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 pkt Ready Rolled puff pastry
2 Eating apples
40g Icing sugar

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C degrees and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Cut the puff pastry into 10 x 15cm rectangles.




Using a fork prick the pastry leaving the edges to rise around the apple.





Thinly slice the eating apples allowing half an apple per person.




Lay the apple in the centre of each rectangle and dust with what seems like a inordinate amount of icing sugar.

Bake until golden making sure the apples are soft.





Serve with ice-cream, warm custard or pouring cream.