Sausage Plait

Isn't it awful how the prices in the supermarkets have
escalated? More than ever I am seeking out recipes which don't cost a lot to make but are tasty and interesting. This I think fits the bill. I used a product called Vegetable Roll which is peculiar to Northern Ireland but any sausage meat will do. I also made my own pastry which is so quick and easy to do. I am never organised enough to defrost frozen pastry. Five minutes in a food processor and you have it. Simple.

Sausage Plait Serves 2 Pork/beef sausages 4, skinned (approximately 250g/9oz) Onion 1 small, peeled and finely chopped Cooking apple 1 peeled, cored and chopped Chopped sage 1tbsp or 1 tsp dried Salt and freshly ground pepper Puff pastry ½ x 500g pack Vegetable oil for greasing Egg 1, beaten for glaze Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F/Gas 6. Mix together the sausage meat with the onion, apple and sage for seasoning. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 30cm (12in) square. Cut around the edges to neaten them. Then make 5-6cm (2-2 ½ in) long cits on the opposite sides of the pastry, at a slightly downward angle and about 2.5cm (1in) apart -but not opposite each other, alternate them instead. Brush water around the edges. Place the sausage meat mixture in the centre of the pastry Fold down the pastry top, then bring up the cut sides, alternatively overlapping them to give a plaited effect, folding up the bottom edge of the pastry before bringing over the final side strip. Press the pastry together well at the ends to seal it. Slide the plait onto a lightly greased baking sheet, then brush the pastry with the egg glaze. Bake the plait in the centre of the oven for 30-40minutes, or until the pastry has risen and is golden. Remove from the oven and serve either hot or cold. I did the whole thing on the baking sheet. Saved faffing around

Pastry (If you so wish)

• 250g strong white flour
• A pinch of salt
• 250g cold unsalted butter, cut into 5mm slices
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• 5-6 tablespoons iced water

Pulse the flour and salt together in the processor, then add the butter and pulse 3-4 times, the butter should be cut up but still be in visible chunks.

Add a squeeze of lemon juice and the iced water, and pulse till the pastry begins to form a ball, then tip out onto the bench and form a ball. Wrap tightly in cling wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Dust the benchtop with flour, then roll the pastry into a long rectangle into a long rectangle three times longer than it is wide, then fold it in three like a business letter. Roll out again to the same length and repeat the fold and roll another 2 times (not rolling out after the last fold).

Wrap in cling wrap and rest in the fridge for another 30 minutes before using it to allow the gluten to relax.

When baking, brush with a lightly beaten egg white and bake in an oven preheated to 200 degrees C till puffed and golden brown.


I did the rolling and folding straight from the processor then stuck it in the fridge while I made up the filling. Works beautifully. Half the quantity will do for this recipe.

Little Chicken Pies

Or to give them their correct title

Mini Torte Poulete-cheddar.

Another lovely recipe from Gloria's Blog. I have made a few recipes from Gloria and they have all been excellent. This is no exception. It is quick and simple and presents beautifully. Tastes divine. This got a big thumbs up from hubby so it must be good. I made my own pastry. That is I made Delia's quick flaky pastry
I have made flaky pastry from scratch. It's a great thing to do when you are at home and can pop back and forwards to do all the rolling but it is not quick. This is so very quick and is light as a feather.



Pre heat the oven to 180/C/355.F/Gas 4

Ingredients (4 servings)

350 gms chicken breast in strips

1 packet ready made puff pastry

100 gms. cheddar cheese

1 celery stalk

3 carrots

1 onion chopped

2 tablespoon of chives chopped

25o mls. cream

30 gms. butter

1 egg

salt and pepper

Method

Cut the chicken into strips. Grate the cheddar. Chop the chives and carrots.
Peel the onions and slice them and the celery.

In a frying pan/skillet, melt the butter over a medium heat.
Fry the chopped vegetables and chicken strips for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Remove from heat and add cream, cheddar, chives, salt and pepper and mix.

Roll out the dough. Cut into 4 rounds with a diameter slightly larger than the ramekins.
Divide chicken mixture between the 4 ramekins.
Brush the edges of the ramekins with beaten egg (reserve the remainder).
Lay the dough rounds on top and press the edges to make them adhere.
Refrigerate 30 minutes (an essential step for the dough to rise during baking).

Brush the dough with remaining beaten egg.
Bake 20 minutes in the oven until the pastry is golden. Serve hot.

Thank you Gloria x

A Pie For Grannymar

My Blogging friend Grannymar has a dairy intolerance. I know she uses 'Pure' which is a dairy free spread. I wondered if it could be used for making pastry instead of my usual butter and white fat. My other half gets terrible indigestion with pastry and I was unsure whether it was the fat or the dairy part. I decided to experiment. Unfortunately it would seem it's the fat causes my hubby's problems but Grannymar if you like pastry this works very well. It does make the dough very short so a bit footery to work with but the result was lovely short crisp pastry. The filling in the picture is mango and pear. I needed to use them up. It made a gorgeous filling. Worth repeating I think. I always use the same pastry recipe. It came from my Aunt who is in her nineties and her pastry recipe was always a closely guarded secret until fairly recently. It makes the crispest pastry ever.
So Grannymar enjoy your pie.

Pastry

225g /8oz Self Raising flour (If using plain add a teaspoon of baking powder)
100gms/4oz butter
50gms/2 oz white fat
1 tablespoon icing sugar
Milk to bind

I do my pastry in the food processor
Whizzing the flour and icing sugar together
Add the fats and whizz until like fine breadcrumbs
Then add a little cold milk to combine (It will form a ball)
Add the milk in very small amounts. Easy to add hard to take away and you don't want soggy pastry dough. It should be quite firm
If doing by hand, rub the fats into the flour with your finger tips until it looks like fine breadcrumbs and then stir in a little milk to combine.
Wrap the dough in a plastic bag or cling film and pop in the fridge to rest for a little while.

This amount will make a dinner plate sized tart.

Pumpkin Pie

There is a saying 'As American as Apple Pie' I have always thought as American as Pumpkin Pie would be better. I always associate pumpkins with our friends across the pond. When I was a child and when my children were wee there wasn't a pumpkin to be seen here. We had to dig out turnips for our 'Jack o' Lanterns'. Not the easiest task in the world. The shops and markets are full of pumpkins now of course. They are such a cheerful sight with their lovely autumny orange colour glowing. I bought two to carve for my grandchildren. Such an easy job to do and such smiling little faces the results produced. I was left with all the pumpkin innards and I have been dying to make pumpkin pie for years. I wanted an American to give me the recipe. I mean if you are going to do a thing you might as well do it right? One of the girls on Vi's pantry who is American kindly gave me her recipe. I can't tell you how gorgeous this is. For anyone who has never tasted it, it's like very spicy custard tart and is a perfect dessert. I have another bag of cooked and pureed pumpkin in the freezer and would like to make individual ones next.




A Few Notes

The recipe as you will see calls for canned pumpkin. A little wander round Google told me that 2 1/2 cups of cooked pureed pumpkin equals a 16 oz can.

I boiled the raw pumpkin for about half an hour and pureed it. This gave me approximately 2 1/2 cups per pumpkin.

I used double cream where it called for whipping cream

I used my own pastry recipe as I knew I would get into a mess with American measures here.

I used a tablespoon of mixed spice instead of the spices specified.

I also used marmalade instead of the apricot jam specified as that is what I had.

Recipe (with thanks to Caesersalad)


Ultimate Pumpkin Pie

Crust: (or, substitute your favorite crust)

1¼ cups all purpose flour
½ cup powdered sugar
½ cup chilled butter, cut into pieces
3 T. whipping cream

Filling:

¾ cup sugar
1 T. packed light brown sugar
1 T. cornstarch
2 t. ground cinnamon
¾ t. ground ginger
¼ t. (generous) salt
1-16 oz. can solid pack pumpkin
¾ cup whipping cream
½ cup sour cream
3 large eggs, beaten to blend

¼ cup apricot preserves

Method

For crust: Preheat oven to 350°. Blend first 3 ingredients in processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cream and process until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill 15 minutes.

Roll dough on floured surface to 14" round. Transfer dough to 9" glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1". Fold overhang under. Crimp crust. Freeze 15 minutes.

Line crust with foil (I use the non-stick foil with the non-stick side down), pressing firmly. Bake until sides are set, about 10 minutes. Remove foil. Bake crust until pale brown, about 10 minutes more. Set the crust aside and reduce the oven to 325°

For filling: Using a whisk, mix first 6 ingredients (sugar through salt) in bowl until no lumps remain. Blend in pumpkin, whipping cream, sour cream and eggs.

Spread preserves over crust; pour in filling. Bake until filling puffs at edges and center is almost set, about 55 minutes. Cool on rack.

When the pie is completely cool, cover and chill until cold. (Can be made one day ahead).

Caesersalad's Notes:

If the pie isn't completely cool when you cover it and refrigerate it, it will sweat. I do love that this pie is designed to be made a day ahead.

My pie takes longer than 55 minutes; so, plan accordingly and watch for the middle to just stop jiggling.

Do use a 9" or deep dish pie pan as this is a very large amount of filling.

May Daring Bakers - Apple Strudel

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.
Thank you to Linda and Courtney for hosting this month's challenge. I have never made Strudel before. When I looked at the recipe I thought it was going to be very fiddly. In fact it was a very simple thing to make. In no way am I saying mine was perfect but the dough was simple to put together and apart from the stretching and rolling, didn't require any special treatment. It just needed to sit around for an hour or so in cling film. This gave plenty of time to prepare the other ingredients. Then it was just a case of assembling it and popping into the oven for 20 -30 minutes.

I used cranberries instead of raisins as I prefer them and I thought it would give a bit of colour.
I didn't have walnuts but did have pecan nuts but at the last minute left them out as we are not great nut lovers.
I had no rum as my husband and his brother polished off the last of it on Hubby's birthday. I did find some Calvados so I used that as I thought it would complement the apples.
I also used light Muscavado sugar to give a slightly toffee taste.

I made the dough in the food processor. The instruction were to stretch the dough on a floured cloth. I'm too lazy so used some baking parchment so I could flip it over.
I just rolled it with a rolling pin and then stretched it a bit. It was a breeze to do. The dough was not at all sticky to work with. I managed to get it fairly thin without too much effort although I suspect it was maybe meant to be thinner

It was then a case of adding the filling and flipping the paper over to roll the dough up and that worked very well.

I am not sure if it is exactly right but
it tasted lovely. Thoroughly enjoyed by all

Apple strudel
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum
3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs
strudel dough (recipe below)
1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts
2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)

1. Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.

3. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts.

4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.

5. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.

Strudel dough
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.
Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).

3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.
Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.

4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.

Old Fashioned Apple Tart

This is a real old fashioned family stand by. I can hear purists say 'It's not a tart it's a pie' but in this small corner of the globe it's Apple Tart and that's that. The pastry , so crisp and light, is a family recipe so has been proven time and time again. Lovely hot from the oven with ice cream or whipped fresh cream. A plain and simple dessert or something nice for afternoon tea with friends. I like to bake it on an old enamel plate I have had forever as it keeps the pastry crisp but any plate will do. A sandwich tin is good too for giving a deep tart

Pastry

225g /8oz Self Raising flour (If using plain add a teaspoon of baking powder)
100gms/4oz butter
50gms/2 oz white fat
1 tablespoon icing sugar
Milk to bind

Filling

Three medium cooking apples
Approximately 2-3 tablespoons soft brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

Beaten egg for glazing
Caster sugar to sprinkle on top of the tart
Lemon juice to stop the apples browning

I do my pastry in the food processor
Whizzing the flour and icing sugar together
Add the fats and whizz until like fine breadcrumbs
Then add a little cold milk to combine (It will form a ball)
Add the milk in very small amounts. Easy to add hard to take away and you don't want soggy pastry dough. It should be quite firm
If doing by hand, rub the fats into the flour with your finger tips until it looks like fine breadcrumbs and then stir in a little milk to combine.
Wrap the dough in a plastic bag or cling film and pop in the fridge to rest for a little while.

Pre-heat your oven to 200.C/180.C fan/400.F/Gas.6

Meanwhile peel the apples and slice finely into a bowl. I have an old fashioned box grater with a fine slicing side and use this.
Squeeze over the lemon juice and stir gently to cover the apples.
Sprinkle over the brown sugar and cinnamon and set to the side.
Retrieve the pastry from the fridge and divide in two. One piece to be slightly smaller than the other for the base of the tart.
Grease your tart plate well
Roll out the smaller piece of pastry and place on the plate.
Spread the apple mix on top.
Use the egg wash round the edge of the pastry
Roll out the bigger disc of pastry and place on the top.
Trim the edges and crimp all round to seal.
Cut a little hole on the top to let the steam escape.
Glaze with the beaten egg and pop in the oven for approx. twenty minutes or until golden brown.
Sprinkle over a little caster sugar when it comes out of the oven.
Enjoy

Little Quiches

I was wandering around the supermarket the other day and I saw these little quiche pans or tart cases or whatever you want to call them. I loved them as they were quite deep. I so hate shallow ones as it is a nuisance to fill them with a runny mixture. They also had a loose bottom. Of course I had to buy them. Then of course I had to use them. I was looking through my recipe books for ideas and I noted Delia Smith had a different way of doing her pastry. It was the usual half fat to flour but she cut the fat in with a knife. I was intrigued so I did exactly that only I used scissors. Much easier than a knife. I find good kitchen scissors indispensable. I chop herbs with them trim meat all sorts of things. Anyway I made the pastry and it was lovely. Somewhere between shortcrust and flaky and so crisp and light. Perfect. I will use this method again.

Pastry

225g/8 oz plain flour
50g/2oz butter
50g/20z white fat or you can use all butter
25g/1oz grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon mustard powder
good pinch cayenne pepper
1 egg beaten with a little milk.

Cut the fat into the seived flour until it is evenly distributed
Mix in the cheese, mustard and cayenne pepper
Add the egg and milk to bind
Place in a plastic bag or wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for half an hour.

Pre heat your oven to 180.C/160.C Fan/355.F/Gas 4 and pop a baking sheet into the oven too

Filling

2 eggs
200 mls double cream
200 mls creme fraiche
1 onion chopped very finely cooked down and caramelised ( if you can't be bothered a few chopped scallions would do)
6 dried tomatoes in olive oil chopped
100gms/4 oz Goats cheese or Feta cheese chopped.
A little grated parmesan or cheddar
salt and pepper

4 x loose bottomed quiche pans 12cms/5 inches diameter well greased.

Method

Divide the pastry into four pieces.
Roll out each piece thinly and fit into the pans. Leave it a little proud at the top to allow for shrinkage.
Place them on the baking sheet and bake for about fifteen minutes until light brown.
Allow to cool

Beat the eggs and creams together.
Scatter the onion cheese and chopped tomatoes over the bottom of the cases.
Pour the egg mix in carefully
sprinkle the grated cheese on the top and a little cayenne pepper
Bake for about 25 mins until the custard has just set and the top is golden.

Pizzaahhhh

I love pizza. I have no time for the thick spongy based pizzas you see in supermarkets with plastic toppings. I have never had the privilege of eating pizza in Naples but I would dearly love to. Perhaps in the oldest pizzeria in the world Port Alba at 18 Visa Port Alba serving since 1830. Or where the pizza Margharita was born in 1889 for the then princess, Pizzeria Brandi found in the heart of old Naples a few yards from Piazza del Plebiscito on Salita Sant'Anna di Pallazzo. The first decent pizza I had was in New Orleans in the French Quarter and then again in New York thirty years later. I knew these were nothing like Neapolitan Pizza but they were thin crispy hot and delicious. The the hunt was on to replicate this wonderful Italian peasant dish the origins of which, are lost in the mists of time.
I had tried a few times. My bases were never thin enough. A baking tray just didn't do it. Always soggy. I decided to invest in a pizza stone. Just to continue on the authenticity I bought the most wonderful book La Pizza by Nikko Amondonico. At last I managed a dough that was so thin and crispy. The amount gave enough for four pizzas. After the first rise I popped the other three in bags in the freezer ready to just roll out and put on the topping whenever I want. I was so delighted with the results. If you haven't got a pizza stone get one. An excellent investment for perfect pizzas.

The Dough

25gms/10oz fresh yeast (I used 1 tablespoon of dry yeast)
250mls/9 fl.oz lukewarm water
400gms/14oz unbleached strong bread flour
1 tsp salt

Begin by making a yeast liquid.
Dissolve the yeast in 25mls(1&1/2 tablespoons) of the lukewarm water. Add about 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix to a smooth paste. Leave to rise under a cloth for 30 minutes.

Make a crater in the middle of about 350gms/12oz flour.
Pour the yeast mixture salt and the rest of the water in the hole.
Mix the ingredients together and knead for 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into four and form into balls.
Leave to rise under a cloth for about two hours or until doubled in size.
Use one ball for one pizza.
Press out and flatten the dough with the palm of your hand into a thin round circle. Use a rolling in to make it really thin.
Finally press with your knuckles about 2cm inside the edge to make the raised edge (cornicone).
The pizza is now ready to be filled

A little tip from Jeanette on my foodie forum is to roll out the dough on baking parchment with polenta on it. Then just slide it onto the pizza stone. Works perfectly.

Filling

The basic tomato base is two tins of tomatoes drained and gently squashed in a colander to get rid of most of the moisture as it makes the pizza base soggy.
To this I added a clove of squished garlic, oregano, shredded basil leaves and black pepper. I made the filling while the dough was rising to let the flavours infuse.
After this it's up to you what you put on it.
I topped with lots of parmesan and mozzarella then drizzled with olive oil before placing on the pizza stone in the oven.

The Oven

It is essential to put the pizza in a hot oven. Approximately 275.C/525.F. is the recommended temperature. The pizza will take 10-12 minutes. This is beyond the reach of most domestic ovens. In this case preheat the oven to it's highest temperature usually 240.C/475.F and increase the baking time by about 5-8 minutes

My oven managed to reach 260.C and as it is a fan assisted that's equivalent to 280.C and the pizza took 8 mins.

I am so glad I have finally conquered Pizza. It may not be official pizzaiola status but it tasted wonderful just the same.

Left Over Jewels

When ever I make pastry there is always some left over. I hate waste. It must be the Scot in me. I make these with the scraps and bake them with the main event. They are just a perfect little mouthful. Little Jam Tarts with creme fraiche.

Mushroom Tomato and Feta Quiche

I simply love a quiche. It speaks to me of summer meals. A baked potato and salad are just perfect with it. Although quiche is now a classic dish of French cuisine, quiche actually originated in Germany, in the medieval kingdom of Lothringen, under German rule, and which the French later renamed Lorraine. The word ‘quiche’ is from the German ‘Kuchen’, meaning cake.
The original ‘quiche Lorraine’ was an open pie with a filling consisting of an egg and cream custard with smoked bacon. It was only later that cheese was added to the quiche Lorraine. Add onions and you have quiche Alsacienne. The bottom crust was originally made from bread dough, but that has long since evolved into a short-crust or puff pastry crust.

I have long looked for what to me is the perfect quiche or, savoury tart, and in this recipe I think I have found it. I used Angela Nilsen's The Ultimate Recipe Book for some tips and tricks. For instance milk should not be used in the custard as it makes it heavy. A mix of cream and and creme fraiche or sour cream gives it a wonderful silky softness. Grated cheese should not be incorporated into the custard as it makes it heavy and dense. Cubes or thin slices of cheese are the thing to use. A little grated parmesan or cheddar on the top while baking will turn it golden brown without over cooking the custard.
I have tried various mixes for the pastries but have found the plain half fat to flour basic shortcrust mix does just as well if not better than the richer varieties. It is easier to crisp up.

This recipe will make a 23cm/9inch quiche and give you about 8 slices.

Plain Shortcrust Pastry

225 gms/8oz flour
100gms/4oz butter very cold cut into cubes
Iced water to bind

Rich Shortcrust pastry

250gm/9oz flour
145gm /-5oz butter very cold cut into cubes
1 egg + 80ml v cold water

Filling

5-6 largeish mushrooms chopped (more if you like)
100gms/4 oz Feta Cheese chopped
6-8 sun dried tomatoes chopped
200mls double cream
200mls sour cream/creme fraiche
3 eggs well beaten
Grating of nutmeg
Good grind black pepper
1 Tblsp Tarragon vinegar
A little butter
Handful of grated parmesan

Pastry

Blend flour and butter to crumbs in processor
Add 1 egg(if using) + 80ml v cold water and pulse until dough forms into a ball.
Roll out to fit the tin, leave a little extra depth above the edge of the quiche pan to allow for shrinkage.
Prick the bottom with a fork, then chill the tart case in the freezer.

Heat Oven to 200.C/Fan180.C/Gas 6 and slip a baking sheet in

After about 30 minutes, cover the pastry in a layer of greaseproof paper or foil and put either baking stones, or dried beans on the top to keep the pastry down.
Bake in the oven on the baking sheet for 15 minutes or so.
Remove the beans and paper an pop the tart case back in the oven for 4-5mins

Filling

Prepare while tart case is baking

Melt the butter in a pan add the mushrooms and tarragon vinegar and allow to just cook. Remove from heat and set aside
Beat the sour cream/creme fraiche and cream together and beat in the eggs adding a good grind of pepper and grated nutmeg.
Place the mushrooms chopped feta cheese and tomatoes in the base of the tart case
Pull the oven shelf out a wee bit and place the tart back on the baking sheet. (This method makes it easier to fill the case)
Gently pour the egg mix into the case until full to the top.
Scatter Parmesan over the surface.

Lower oven temp to 190.C/Fan170.C/Gas5
Bake for about 25 mins or until golden and softly set. The centre should not feel too firm
Allow to settle for 5 mins before removing from the tin.

I do find the semi-dried tomatoes that I make myself work really well in this but shop bought sun dried tomatoes will do. If you use fresh tomatoes remove some of the seeds and core

Chicken and Mushroom Pasties

It was once said that the Devil would never dare to cross the River Tamar into Cornwall for fear of ending up as a filling in a Cornish Pasty. For centuries the Cornish have been filling their famous pasties with almost any ingredients that you would care to think of. The traditional filling is,of course, beef and potato, usually with slices of onion and swede mixed in as well, but the humble pasty can
also be found in a number of other guises.
The pasty originally evolved to meet the needs of tin mining, that other great, but now sadly declined, Cornish industry. A hearty meal wrapped in a pastry casing made for a very practical lunch (or "croust" , as they used to call it ) down in the dark and damp tunnels of the mine. Some mines even built huge ovens on the surface to keep the miner's pasties hot until it was time to eat. Tradition has it that the original pasties contained meat and vegetables in one end and jam or fruit in the other end, in order to give the hard-working men 'two courses'.
By no means is this trying to be a recipe for traditional Cornish Pasties. I just find this a much more convenient way to make individual pies. Easier to serve and the pastry is crisp and golden all the way round. No soggy bits and no pie dishes to wash. I do so prefer the simple route.
The original recipe is for Chicken Pot Pies and comes from Nigella Lawson's Feast. I have, as is my want, tweaked it a bit.

Serves 4

Pastry
450gms/1lb plain flour
225gms/8oz butter
One large egg and enough iced water to bind the pastry
One egg beaten to glaze

Filling
50gms/2oz butter plus a little extra for frying the mushrooms
50gms/2oz plain flour
A chicken stock cube or similar
575mls/1pint milk
200gms /7ozmushrooms chopped
250gms/9oz cooked chicken

Fry the mushrooms in butter until just cooked.
Leave to one side

Pastry
Tip the flour into a bowl and add the butter, cut into chunks, into it. Shake and put the bowl in the freezer for about ten minutes. Put a small jug of water in the fridge and the beaten egg.
Tip the flour and butter into the food processor and pulse until like breadcrumbs. Add the beaten egg and enough cold water to bind. It will form a ball in the food processor.
This can also be done of course in a mixer or by hand which ever your preference
Cut into four pieces and wrap in cling film and put in the fridge.

Filling
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat.
Whisk in the flour and the crumbled stock cube.
Allow to cook gently for a moment or two
Off the heat add the milk a little at a time whisking until smooth each time.
Return to the heat and keep stirring until thickened and smooth.
Pour the thick white sauce into a jug or a bowl and cover with dampened greaseproof paper until assembling the pasties

When you are ready to put everything together preheat the oven to 200.C/Gas 6/400.F

Roll out each of the pastry quarters into a round and use a dinner plate to cut a circle.
Mix the diced chicken and the mushrooms through the sauce.
Divide the filling between the pastry circles.
Brush the edge of the pastry with some beaten egg and pinch together on top then fold over again pinching the ends and turning them upwards onto the pasty
Brush with beaten egg and bake on a baking sheet until golden brown. About 20 minutes.

I like to serve this with root mash. Potato, turnip, carrot and parsnip all boiled together, drained and mashed with butter salt and pepper.