Party Pies

My memory of childhood was a that a party was never a party without Party Pies.  Sausage rolls and party pies went side by side, and were a staple at all under age events in Australia!  I love their cute, dainty little size and the perfect balance of crunchy top pastry and slightly under-done base.  I remember always, ALWAYS biting into them too quickly and burning my tongue on the hot beef inside despite the number of times the cook would say ' now kids, they are just out of the oven, let them cool down a bit first'.  I loved them dipped in tomato sauce and eaten as quickly as possible, trying to get my share before the adults noticed they were available and the Dads ate their unannounced portion.

My girls are now nearly 7 and 8 and I fear that since living in the US since they were 3 and 4, perhaps their understanding of Party Pies and their place in the world of childhood parties is not so entrenched.  I decided to make them this week.  Not for any birthday party or event, just because.

I declared it a 'no-veggie night' and off I went....

Ingredients:
500g / 1 lbs chuck beef, ground
1 sml onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tblspn worchestershire sauce
2 cups beef stock
2 tblspn cornflour
fresh thyme, finely diced
3 tblpsn tomato paste
1/2 cup carrot puree
salt and pepper

Shortcrust pastry

Puff pastry

1 egg, beaten.

Method:

• In a medium hot skillet, sauté onions until clear, then add carrot, garlic and herbs
• Add your meat, season with salt and pepper and cook well, until browned
• Add the worchestershire sauce and cook until absorbed
• Now add the tomato paste and mix through. 
• In a bowl, whisk together your cornflour and beef stock before pouring over the meat.
• Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer.  Allow it to simmer for about 30minutes (or more).
• Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
• Allow the meat mixture to cool well before trying to compile the pies.
• While waiting for the mixture to cool, prepare your shortcrust pastry and then leave to rest in the refrigerator for at least 45mins before rolling out.
• The recipe I love the most for Shortcrust Pastry and which works every time is Gordon Ramsey's. It is SO easy, seriously there is no excuse for store bought shortcrust if you have a food processor - it literally takes less than 3 mins. Find it here at http://whatsfordinner-mum.blogspot.com/2013/04/chunky-beef-mushroom-pie.html but essentially it is 2 parts AP flour :1 part butter :1 part iced cold water.

To put together the party pies:

1. Bring out your puff pastry from the freezer to thaw. (I don't know how to make puff pastry and store bought is SUPER easy to buy!!)
2. Preheat your oven to 375'f or about 190'C
3. Prepare your muffin trays by lightly spraying with cooking spray.  I like to use a regular size muffin tray for party pies, you could use the larger Mexican size if you were making these for adults or some other large ramekin.
4. Roll out your shortcrust pastry, to about 3mm thick.
5. Using a cookie cutter or other round shape, cut out your shortcrust pastry bases to fit the bottom and sides of your muffin tray.
6. Spoon in the cooled meat mixture until almost level with the top.

7. Cut out your top pastry using the puff pastry sheets.  I used a scalloped edge cookie cutter which   

    looks nicer when cooked.  Lay it top of your meat and press lightly against the base.  I didn't use 

   egg wash or anything to helps seal, just a little pressure and it stayed pretty well stuck.
8. Continue until all the mixture is used.  If you wanted to keep them for another time.  Flash freeze 

   them in the muffin tray at this point and then when frozen enough to remove from the tray, bag and 

   label them in freezer bags.  
9. If cooking straight away, then brush the tops of the puff pastry with egg before baking for about 

   22-25mins.