Christmas Pies

 

Ingredients

• 200g leeks thinly sliced butter
• 25g butter, plus a knob
• 100g finely chopped mushrooms
• 4 good pinches ground mace ( but I used basil, nutmeg, oregano, chili powder, S & P)
• 4 good pinches thyme leaf, plus a few extra small sprigs to decorate (I used rosemary to decorate
• 100g grated potato
• 100g lentils, boil in water until cooked
• 100g cooked finely chopped chestnuts
• 8 tbsp heavy whipping cream
• 4 tbsp cranberries, plus 20 to decorate
• 1 beaten egg for glaze
• 2 tsp redcurrant jelly, but I used Jalapeno Jelly

For the pastry

• 200g plain flour, plus a little extra
• 100g butter
• 8 tbsp milk
  
  

Method

1. Fry the leeks in the butter until softened. Add the mushrooms and spices. Turn up the heat a little to soften the mushrooms and reduce the amount of liquid. Stir in the potato for 2 mins, followed by the lentils, chestnuts and cream. Cook for 2 mins more, then take off the heat and stir in the 4 tbsp cranberries. Mix should be quite dry.
   
2. To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour & salt. Slowly add the milk, a spoon at a time, and mix with a knife until the pastry comes together.
   
3. Roll out a quarter of the pastry on a floured surface, then use 4 individual pie dishes to cut 4 pastry lids – we used 4 x 250ml ramekins. I used small Corelle bowls.
   
   *Use a small star cutter to cut out a star from each lid, then keep stars and lids covered with plastic wrap.
   
4. Cut 4 strips of baking parchment and use a little butter to stick one in each pie dish, so the ends of the strips stick out each side to help you remove the pies when baked. (Greatest invention ever)  Gather lid scraps with the remaining pastry and divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll out each  and use to line each pie dish with an overhang.  ( I did each lid as I went.) Divide the filling between the dishes. Top each with a lid, and roll down the overhang to meet the lid. Use a fork’s prongs to press and seal edges. The pies can now be covered and chilled for up to 24 hrs before baking.
   
5. To bake, heat oven to 425 degrees F. Brush each pie with beaten egg and bake for 30 mins. Lift pies from dishes and sit directly onto a baking sheet. Mix 20 cranberries with the jelly and divide between the star holes on top.
   
   *Brush pastry stars with beaten egg, add a small thyme sprig to each, then add to the buttered baking sheet and put back in the oven for 5-10 mins, until pies and stars are golden and crisp. Top each pie with a star and serve.
   

Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2011

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1799642/individual-christmas-pies