Strawberry Potpies

I cheated when making this potpies! I have a can of strawberry pie filling bought ages ago and wanted to use it up. So I've used it to make this potpies. Originally, the recipe is called Cherry Potpies, and it uses sour cherries in jars, which is very expensive. And since I have a can of strawberry pie filling, I've replaced with that instead. 

Very easy pie to make, the dough is flaky, tender and buttery. But I was very dissappointed with the canned strawberry pie filling. It is starchy and not what I've expected. Though it is not very sweet, and even with chunks of strawberry pieces in the filling, it really lack the natural taste of strawberries. This would be the last time I'll buy strawberry pie filling in cans! And I have a can of blueberry pie filling, though of another brand, bought at the same time. Hopefully that would be much better than this strawberry pie filling.

Maybe one of these days, I would make this potpies again using fresh plums, fresh strawberries or even tropical fruits like mangos.

Apple-Cinnamon Hand Pies

I bought some Fuji apples a few weeks ago, and maybe I bought too many! Got to use them up and what better and delicious way than an apple pie? In this case, it's hand pies! Recipe is from Home Baked Comfort by Kim Laidlaw, and so far I have had success with all the recipes I've tried.

I started by making the flaky pie dough in the morning, and by late afternoon, we have warm fragrant apple pie for tea time treat. Fuji apples, it's one of my favourite apples to use for baking. The apples are peeled, cored and cut into small cubes, then mixed with some brown sugar, ground cinnamon, lemon juice and a tablespoon of flour. Once the dough is done, it is rolled out and cut out into 6 or 7 inches rounds, using a bowl as a guide. Brush some egg mixture along the border of half of each rounds. Scoop some filling and place in the centre of the round, bring the sides of the dough together and press to seal. Use a fork to press the borders. Brush the top of the dough with more egg mixture. The recipe did not say anything about slashing the top, but I made a couple of slashes, to allow steam to escape during baking. I've used a 5-1/2 inch bowl as a guide to cut out the rounds and the dough yields 9 rounds for 9 pies.

Bake until golden brown, and the juices are bubbling and oozing from the slashes.

Freshly baked, still warm, about to be served!

Yum! The pie crust is flaky, buttery and crisp tender. Juicy soft apple filling and fragrant from the cinnamon. There's a vanilla glaze which is drizzled over the baked pies, (given in the recipe), but I have omitted the glaze. I let the baked pie rest for 10 to 15 minutes before eating. So good when eating the still warm pie, but be careful when biting into the filling, it's hot! We did not miss the glaze at all, the pie is very good even without it. With a mug of warm tea, this is the perfect afternoon snack.

Pepperoni and Egg Breakfast Tart

A savoury bake that is perfect for brunch or as a light lunch. It is quick, easy and delicious. If you have a pack of frozen puff pasty in the freezer, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, and by breakfast or lunch time the next day, you will be able to serve this savoury tart in less than half an hour.

The actual recipe is named Bacon-And-Egg Breakfast Tarts, but I do not have any bacon. However, I do have a pack of pepperoni which I wanted to use up. The pepperoni makes a delicious substitute. Or even slices of ham will be good too.

I've made this tart before with bacon, when I first purchased this book. And we really enjoyed it at that time. Definite worth a repeat! I've used a 4 inch square of puff pastry sheet bought from the supermarket, makes it so much easier, as there's really no need to measure and cut to size. Perfect size for individual serving.

The puff pastry is scored on all sides to make a border, then spread in the centre of the pastry to the cut lines,  with a mixture of cheddar cheese and sour cream. Bacon or pepperoni slices are pan-fried just until barely crisped. Place a few pieces on the cheese mixture and bake the tart in a preheated oven until the pastry is puffed, crispy and golden, takes about 15-18 minutes. Meanwhile fry the eggs to your liking.

When the pastry is ready, place a fried egg on top of each one, sprinkle some black pepper and chopped chives over, and serve immediately. With a cup of warm tea, would be very nice.

I drizzled some hot sauce over my eggs. Yums! Enjoy!

In the author's own words "Make these for a special brunch, especially if you want to impress your friends or in-laws."