The other day I mentioned that I'm not really big on sleeping in anymore. Since I wrote that, my body has decided to prove the point and has woken me up at 5am nearly every morning this week. I really see why everyone wants daylight saving here so badly. At 5am the sun is shining. By 6am when I usually leave the house for the gym or a walk, the sun has a sting to it already.
After two 5am wake-up calls, by Wednesday afternoon I was so sleepy that instead of walking the 300 meters up the road to my grandma's house I drove to deliver these tasty pasties to her (note - a 5am wake up wouldn't normally make me so tired but I happened to stay up a little too late re-reading Breaking Dawn in anticipation of the movie release next week). Mum gave me the recipe and said that my grandma loved them so I dutifully whipped them up. With just a few ingredients in the filling, they didn't sound all that tasty to me but was I proven wrong. They were so deliciously good I'll be making up another batch to keep in the freezer.
The filling is made up of finely diced beef, turnip, potato and onion with a little bit of salt and pepper. Sounds pretty bland like that doesn't it? Trust me it's not!
Start the pastry by combining the butter, water and salt over low heat. Heat the mixture until the butter has melted.
While the pot is on the stove, stir the beef, turnip, potato and onion together and season it with salt and pepper.
Tip the flour into a large bowl.
Pour the hot butter mixture into the flour and stir it all together using a knife until everything is combined.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface. I always use my silicone baking mat for things like this. It makes cleaning up all that flour so much easier.
Knead the dough gently until it comes together in a smooth ball.
Divide the dough in half and cover one half with a tea-towel to keep it warm. You have to work with warm dough. Roll the other half out to about the thickness of puff pastry or a tiny bit thicker.
I made party entree sized pasties using a 10cm cookie cutter. The recipe specifies using a saucer as a stencil to cut out bigger pastry rounds. It just depends how big you want the final pasties.
Place a round of pastry in the palm of your hand with the floured side on your hand. Even though it looks like it, I don't have a massively swollen hand. It's very tricky taking a photo with one hand when you have a heavy camera.
Place a scoop of filling in the middle of the pastry.
Starting in the middle, fold the pastry over the filling and pinch the sides together. You can make a pretty scalloped edge if you like. I tried to but it didn't turn out quite as prettily has I'd hoped.
Lay all the pasties on a lined oven tray. You can put them pretty close together as they don't puff up.
Brush the pasties with a little bit of milk. You can also use beaten egg but I don't like to waste an egg. Bake them for 20 minutes at 180C fan-forced then reduce the oven to 150C fan-forced and cook them for another 15-20 minutes or until they are golden.
Leave them to cool on the tray for a few minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Alternatively, serve them up straight away. These can be frozen after they have cooled completely. Enjoy!
You might also like chicken filo parcels.
What do you think? Should daylight saving be introduced in Queensland? Are you excited about Breaking Dawn part one?
Recipe
Ingredients
Pastry - you will need two lots of the pastry ingredients but it must be made in two batches not one big one
- 100 g 3.5oz butter, chopped
- 150 ml cold water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups self-raising flour I use plain flour and add baking powder
Filling
- 400 g 14oz round stead, all fat removed, chopped into small dice
- 1 medium onion peeled and finely diced
- 1 medium potato peeled and finely diced
- 1 small turnip peeled and finely diced
- salt and pepper
- egg wash made with one egg and a little water or just use milk instead
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C(356F) fan-forced. Line an oven tray with baking paper.
- Make the filling by mixing all the ingredients (except the egg wash) together in a bowl.
- To make the dough, heat the butter, water and salt in a small saucepan until the butter has melted.
- Put the flour in a big bowl then pour the hot mixture on top and stir it all together using a knife.
- Flour the bench and tip the dough out onto it. Knead it gently until it forms a smooth ball.
- Working with half the dough at a time (it's important to keep the other half warm under a tea towel), roll it out to about puff pastry (a little bit thicker) thickness and cut out rounds using a 10cm cutter.
- Alternatively, you can make extra big ones by using a saucer as a guide and cutting around it.
- Pick up a round of pastry and lay it flat in one hand. Place a scoop of filling in the middle and pinch the sides together to enclose it.
- Repeat with the rest of the filling and dough.
- Lay the pasties on the oven tray and brush with the egg wash or milk.
- Cook them for 20 minutes at 180C then reduce the oven to 150C and cook them for a further 15-20 minutes or until they are golden.
- Let them cool slightly and serve them or let them cool completely and freeze them individually wrapped for later.
- To prepare frozen pasties, let them thaw on the bench then heat them in a 180C oven for about 10 minutes.
Rika says
If you make big ones, does the cooking time change? They look really tasty, I can't wait to try making them!
Claire says
Hi Rika. Yes it will take a bit longer for them to cook but you'll just have to keep an eye on them.
roxana says
There are called EMPANADAS in south america! The filling can be done with many different things (meat for example) and taste great!! The pastry can be freeze (with separate linings)
Great Job!
Claire says
My mum calls them empanadas as well, they are very similar! Now I know how easy the pasty is I'll have to experiment with the fillings. Thanks Roxana.
Jennifer @ Mother Thyme says
These look so delicious! I would score major brownie points with my husband if I made these!
Claire says
Oh yes they are definitely a husband-pleaser.
Glamorous Glutton says
These look great, the recipe is very similar to traditional Cornish Pasties here. The filling does look too simple to be tasty but they are lovely. I haven't used hot water pastry so I will give that a try. I always use rough puff . GG
Claire says
I've never made a rough puff. I'll have to give that a go. Yes I think they are very similar to cornish pasties. Something special happens in the oven is my only explanation for the amazing flavour from so few ingredients.
The Café Sucré Farine says
Claire, you are such a sweet granddaughter! I bet she was thrilled with these! They look wonderful and you did an awesome tutorial! Oh and we are just the opposite right now - the days are very short, dark till 7 and then dark again by 4:30-5!
Claire says
She was indeed. I do whinge about it getting light so early but I much prefer the extra light of summer than the dark afternoons of winter.
molly kelly says
Yes you are a very dutiful daughter and Guppy loved them!!
x
Claire says
She did indeed! Ate one as soon as it arrived.
Nic@diningwithastud says
That pastry looks perfect :) I do love anything when its wrapped in pastry - awesome job!
Claire says
I was doubting it a little cause it was so easy but it was delicious. Yes I'd have to agree, pastry always makes things better!