Baking with pastry

“I made ‘em” sausage rolls

Perfect for parties or lunchboxes

Ingredients

• 500g of sausages
• 1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsps Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsps tomato paste
• Salt
• 2 sheets of butter puff pastry
• 2 egg yolks lightly beaten

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Remove the sausage meat from the casings and combine with the breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and salt, in a large bowl.
2. Cut the pastry sheets in half and divide the sausage mixture between them. Place the mixture along the middle of the pastry and roll to enclose, with the seam underneath.
3. Cut each roll in half and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush with the egg yolk and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

Cheesy breakfast pie

Add chopped bacon or herbs for a change

Ingredients

• 8 sheets of phyllo pastry
• 50g butter melted
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 cup of Ricotta
• 200g frozen spinach
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of pouring cream
• 1 tub of grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra)
• Sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. Layer the phyllo sheets together, brushing between each layer with melted butter. Cut the phyllo into quarters and line four ramekins or pie dishes (we used large cappucino cups).
3. Slice the tomatoes and place a slice in the base of each pie.
4. Divide the Ricotta and spinach between each pie.
5. Whisk the eggs, cream, Parmesan, salt and pepper in a bowl and pour over the Ricotta and spinach. Top with another slice of tomato and a sprinkling of Parmesan.
6. Brush the edges of the pastry with the remaining butter and bake at 180ºC for 30 minutes or until the filling is puffed and golden and the egg is set.

*If adding bacon, fry until golden and place at the bottom of the pies, along with the sliced tomato, spinach and Ricotta.

Beef and potato pie

Great for a family supper

Ingredients

• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 1kg chopped beef
• 1 onion, peeled
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 1/2 cups of beef stock
• 1 1/2 cups of water
• 1/2 cup of red wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tbsps cornflour
• 1/2 cup water extra
• 2 potatoes, sliced thinly and tossed in olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. Heat a large saucepan over high heat. Add the oil and cook the beef until browned. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the stock, water, red wine, bay leaf and thyme and cook for an hour and 30 minutes or until the beef is tender.
3. Mix the cornflour with the extra water and stir into the beef mixture. Cook for about 5 minutes until the mixture is slightly thick.
4. Divide the beef between four oven-proof pie dishes or bowls.
5. Layer the potatoes on top and bake for 45 minutes until the potatoes are golden.

Blueberry and apple pie

A delicious dessert

Ingredients

• 1 roll of shortcrust pastry
• 1 egg, slightly beaten, for brushing
• Sugar for sprinkling
• 8 green apples peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 tbsp of water
• 1 punnet of blueberries
• 1/3 cup of castor sugar
• Juice of one lemon
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 tbsps of almond meal

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC. Place the apples and water in a pot over medium heat and simmer for five minutes until tender.
2. Drain and cool completely. Add the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon.
3. Divide the pastry into two thirds and one third portions. Roll out the two thirds portion on a floured surface until 3mm thick and line four pie dishes. Divide the almond meal equally between the dishes and top with the apple and blueberry mixture.
4. Roll out the remaining pastry and cut rounds out to fit over the tops of the pies. Brush the rims with water and top with the pastry rounds, pressing the edges down firmly. Trim the excess. Cut several slits in the top of the pies, brush with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.

Tips

• Make a slit on the top of a pie to allow steam to escape.
• Brush the pastry with egg to make the tops golden.
• You can make pot pies in a variety of oven-proof dishes, like large cappucino cups and small ramekins.
• To prevent phyllo pastry (used in the cheesy breakfast pie) from drying out, place a damp tea towel on top of the phyllo when working with the individual sheets.

Get the kids involved!

Ask them to cut shapes out of the leftover pastry to decorate the pies. Brush the undersides of the shapes with a little water before “sticking” them on to the tops of the pies.