West Berkshire & North Hampshire

Nutritious and economical, and they taste divine

Makes six little pies which can be frozen before baking and taken straight from the freezer to the oven.
Preparation time: 75 min
Cooking time: 40 min

Ingredients
Filling
60g / 2oz butter
225g / 8oz leeks – trimmed, thinly sliced and washed
225g / 8oz carrots – peeled and finely diced
1 small head of broccoli, broken into tiny florets
115g / 4oz mushrooms, sliced
60g / 2oz frozen peas
60g / 2oz walnut pieces
60g / 2oz plain flour
1 level tsp ground coriander
150ml 1/4 pint single cream
150ml 1/4 pint milk
4 tbsp chopped fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pastry
450g / 1lb plain flour
225g / 8 oz butter
115g / 4oz mature cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 level tsp English mustard powder
1/4 level tsp salt
175ml / 6fl oz milk
1 medium egg, beaten

Method
Filling
Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the leeks and carrots and cook gently for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, mushrooms and peas and cook for a further five minutes. Add the walnuts.
Stir in the flours and coriander and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.
Gradually add the cream and the milk and cook over a moderate heat for five minutes until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens.
Remove from the heat, stir in the dill, season well and leave to cool.

Pastry
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and rub in the butter. Stir in 85g / 3oz of the cheese and all the mustard powder and the salt. Add enough milk to make a soft, but not sticky, dough. Knead lightly on a floured surface until smooth.

Lightly grease six oven-proof saucers, about 15cm / 6 inches in diameter.

Cut the dough in half. Roll out one half thinly, and using the saucers as a guide, cut out six rounds, each a little larger than the saucer. Line the saucers with the rounds and divide the filling equally between them.

Roll out the remaining dough and, using a saucer as a guide again, cut out six more rounds. Brush the edges of the saucer dough with cold water and cover with the lids, then press the edges together well. Make a small hole in the centre of each pie and chill the pies for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200C / Gas mark 6. Put the saucers containing the pies on two baking sheets, brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes then turn the tray and bake for a further ten minutes until golden brown.