A Great Pye Recipes

A GREAT PYE

Steps:

• Line a 9-inch pie plate with half of the pastry. Brush the inside with some of the egg white. Skin the pieces of the breast and other meat if necessary and parboil them gently in salted water for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and cool.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the minced beef, suet, salt and pepper, the egg yolks, and half of the spice mixture. Add the rest of the spices to the dried fruit in another bowl. Slice the parboiled meat.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the beef stock to the rice flour or corn flour in small saucepan and cream them together. Stir in the remaining stock and stir over gentle heat until thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside. Cover the bottom of the lined pastry pan with half of the minced mixture. Arrange the sliced meat in a layer over the top. Scatter the chopped spiced fruit over it and cover the remaining minced meat. Pour the thickened stock over the top.
• Roll out the remaining pastry into a round to make a lid for the pie. Brush the rim of the case with a little more egg white and cover with the lid. Press the edges to seal, and make escape slits for steam. Decorate with the pastry trimmings and glaze with the egg white. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving. Slice into individual pieces and serve warm or at room temperature.

UNBELIEVABLY EASY MINCE PIES

Steps:

• To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour, then mix in the golden caster sugar and a pinch of salt.
• Combine the pastry into a ball - don't add liquid - and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole.
• Spoon the mincemeat into the pies. Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies.
• Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal - you don't need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. Will keep frozen for up to one month.
• Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg. Bake for 20 mins until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with the icing sugar. Will keep for three to four days in an airtight container.

OLD FASHIONED APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a bowl combine apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Place mixture in a pastry-lined 9 inch pie plate. Dot with butter and adjust top crust that has been vented.
• Place in oven and bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Turn oven temperature down to 275-300 degrees F (135-150 degrees C) and bake 40-50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender. Let cool and serve.

MINCE PIES

Steps:

• Place 375g plain flour and 260g softened unsalted butter in a bowl and rub together to a crumb consistency.
• Add 125g caster sugar and 1 large beaten egg, and mix together.
• Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and fold until the pastry comes together, be careful not to over mix.
• Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for 10 mins.
• Scoop the large jar of mincemeat into a bowl and add 2 segmented satsumas, 1 finely chopped apple and zest of 1 lemon.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
• Roll out the pastry to 3mm thick.
• Using a round cutter (about 10cm), cut out 16 bases and place them into muffin trays. Put 1½ tbsp mincemeat mixture into each. Brush the edge of each pie with a little beaten egg.
• Re-roll out the pastry to cut 7cm lids and press them on top to seal. Glaze with the beaten egg, sprinkle with the extra caster sugar, then make a small cut in the tops.
• Bake the mince pies for 15-20 mins until golden brown. Leave to cool before releasing them from the muffin trays and dusting with a little more icing sugar before serving.