I’m definitely going to try my hand at your recipe!

 

Today I made meat pies.
I know those of you in the US aren’t used to the concept of savoury pies, but you should have a go, of an Aussie staple, savoury pies are also popular in NZ And throughout the UK.

Anyway here’s a rough guide, as I don’t use a recipe as such, I just wing it.

I use an electric fry pan, as it’s easy to keep the heat regulated, to cook the pie filling I set it to @ 4 (out of 10)
Pour in enough extra virgin olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan to @ 3mm (1/8”)
Break the mince steak up and hurl it into the pan.

Keep it moving a bit like you would with a stir fry.
Add herbs such as parsley, oregano thyme, and basil. Keeps it moving and add crushed garlic, salt, pepper and fine grated parmesan cheese.
Next mix up your gravy, but don’t let it thicken, you need it a bit runny, as you pour it into the pan and let it cook with the pie filling.

now you turn the heat down to 1 to slowly simmer off the liquid.
You still keep the pie filling moving, every few minutes, except you use a motion like you would using a shovel to mix cement or mortar.
It should end up looking like this

Now grease your pie tins with real butter


Melt the butter in the microwave and use a pastry brush

I use muffin tins as they’re deeper tan pie tins, you’ll notice the star shape, this makes for a structurally stronger pie allowing more filling in the deeper pie.
My pies are engineered.

Next step is take rolled shortcrust pastry…push into the tin and mould to shape, trim off the excess with a butter knife.

You will probably break through the pastry in a few places, just take some of the pastry that you’d trimmed off and reinforce the damaged pastry with a patch.

Now I grate some cheese….. well before you all storm the castle with pitchforks and burning torches, let me explain that when I say cheese I mean that strange processed stuff that looks more like a bar of soap! Real cheese can of course be used, but I’m going for the superior texture that this stuff gives.
Call me a heretic, but it’s what I use.

Spoon equal amounts of filling into the tins, pressing it in firmish.


Now fill the remaining space with the weird soap cheese shit

Next take some rolled butter puff pastry and stretch over the pie to make a lid


And trim the excess with a butter knife as before, now use a fork to roll crimp the edge.

Hurl the lot into the oven, all damned ovens are different, I set the shitbox I use to @140C, I don’t go by time I go by colour


Smother in home made tomato sauce (ketchup to you yanks) and scoff whilst hot.
It’s gotta be the homemade stuff, store bought sauce is shitfull!

Those that aren’t consumed hot out of the oven, can be bagged up and put in the fridge or freezer to be warmed up at @ 85 - 90 C and enjoyed at your leisure.

Alternative ingredients can be used or added as desired.
Beef, chicken or lamb chunks can be used in place of mince steak.
And stuff like bacon, onions, mushrooms, veggies etc can be added.
It all depends what you like and what you’ve got handy.

The how to guide for the homemade tomato sauce will have to be another day

 

Rustic “Italian” bread

Amazing what olive oil and salt can do to a bread.

 

Reverse Marble Cake.

 

I’m lousy at remembering to take the step by step photos some do, but here are the results.

Fresh blueberry muffins and baking some bacon too!

 

Swedish Cinnamon Bun

 

Finally made my first sushi.

 

A real masterpiece!

 

You make me blush

 

Rich dark Christmas cake, I'll 'feed' this with Brandy for a couple of weeks then cover with marzipan and icing

 

Cake fed this last week with copious quantities of Brandy, wrapped in marzipan and icing, the finished article, can't wait to tuck in

 

Not enough pizza pictures in this thread so I thought I might contribute, respecting my clichè as an Italian

 

Had a hankering for a burger for dinner yesterday, but a search of the freezers turned up no hamburger buns...so we made some...













Tasty!

 

I like how your buns look.

 

I'm not surprised.

 

Mrs CPR was bored earlier today and the Great British weather is treating us to a near non 24 hrs of rain, so to occupy herself she asked what cake would I like. So I said Chocolate sponge with raspberry jam and vanilla buttercream please & two hrs later here it is . So that's the first of the New years resolutions that have already been broken ...

 

Might have to bake a cake myself tomorrow hmmmmmmmn!

 

Buns for Saturday morning.

 

Your buns are nicer than Archer’s buns.