pie

Cheats Asparagus Tart

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 1 packet Puff pastry
  • 1 jar onion relish
  • 1 container smooth cream cheese
  • 1 bunch asparagus
  • 1 lemon – rind and juice
  • Baking tray or pie dish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 180 Celcius.
  2. Prepare asparagus, trim woody ends, then slice lengthways.
  3. Place puff pastry on tray, outline a rim to the pastry sheet, cutting only 1/2 way through, prick base all over with a fork, and bake at 180 C 8-10 mins. You can blind bake (with baking paper and pastry beans) or take the lazy option and squash it down again after cooking.
  4. Spread with cream cheese, then onion relish (it will get messy and thats OK!)
  5. Top with asparagus and lemon rind,
  6. Bake at 180 C 25 mins, until the pastry is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
  7. Serve warm or cold, with salt and pepper to taste

TIP: fantastic for brunch topped with a rocket salad and balsamic dressing.

Stewed Tamarillo and Strawberry Compote with Ginger & Cinnamon

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 2 cooking apples peeled, cored and cut into small pieces
  • 3 tamarillos (Tree Tomatoes)
  • 5 strawberries (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 1 knob ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Prepare the fruit – peel and core the apples, then slice apples and strawberries into small cubes.
  2. Scoop out the tamarillos with a spoon and chop into small pieces
  3. Put the apples, tamarillos and caster sugar in a saucepan with the cinnamon, grated ginger and vanilla, cook, covered, for 15 mins until soft, stirring once or twice.
  4. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
  5. Cool for at least 20 mins before serving with ice-cream or dolloped on toast as a spread.
  6. Store in a jar in the fridge, for up to 5 days

Optional: Add 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind when cooking

Tamarillo and Apple Hand Pies

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 2 cooking apples peeled, cored and cut into small pieces
  • 3 tamarillos (Tree Tomatoes)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • juice from 1 orange
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 x 320g shortcrust pastry sheets
  • 1 egg beaten
  • baking tray and baking paper

Instructions

  1. Prepare the fruit – peel and core the apples, then slice into small cubes.
  2. Scoop out the tamarillos with a spoon and chop into small pieces
  3. Put the apples, tamarillos and caster sugar in a saucepan with the orange juice and vanilla, cook, covered, for 6 mins until soft, stirring once or twice.
  4. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
  5. In a separate bowl, mix the cornflour with 1 tbspn cold water, and the cinnamon, then add it into the fruit mixture, stirring until combined.
  6. Unroll the pastry sheets and cut into 4 squares per sheet.
  7. Spoon the fruit filling onto one half of the pastry, leaving a 1cm border around the edge. Brush the beaten egg around the edges and fold the pastry over the top.
  8. Use the prongs of a fork to seal the edges, then brush tops with egg.
  9. Use the fork to poke some steam holes in the middle.
  10. Repeat with the remaining pastry / filling.
  11. Arrange the hand pies on a baking sheet lined with baking paper then chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins, or up to 24 hrs. You can also freeze them at this stage for up to 3 months.
  12. Bake the pies for 20 mins at 200 celsius. If cooking from frozen, bake for an extra 5 mins.
  13. Cool for at least 20 mins before serving with ice-cream or custard.

Optional: Add a pinch of cinnamon when cooking

Cheats Rhubarb Custard Pie

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 1 packet Sweet shortcrust pastry
  • 1 carton Thick & Creamy Custard (600g)
  • 5 stalks rhubarb, chopped into 2 cm slices (discard the leaves and woody ends)
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 125g caster sugar 
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 1 extra tbsp caster sugar
  • 25 x 35cm shallow baking tin or pie dish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 180 Celcius, leave the custard on the bench at room temperature while you prepare the pastry.
  2. Toss the rhubarb, cornflour and 125g sugar together in a bowl.
  3. Split the Sweet shortcrust pastry into 2/3rd and 1/3rd.
  4. Using a lightly floured rolling pin (or a wine bottle!) roll out the larger of the two pieces of dough on a lightly floured surface, to a rectangle large enough to line the base and sides of your baking tin, about ½cm thick.
  5. Lift the dough over your rolling pin and drape into the tin, leaving any excess hanging over the edges.
  6. Blind bake the pastry for 10 mins (can just cover in baking paper and tip on dry rice, if you don’t have baking beads). Cool slightly.
  7. Spread the thick custard over the pastry base.
  8. Scatter the top with the Rhubarb/sugar mix
  9. Roll out the smaller piece of pastry and cut into strips, then lay them across the pie dish.
  10. Brush the top with beaten egg and scatter over the 1 tbsp caster sugar.
  11. Bake at 180 C 35-40 mins, until the pastry is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
  12. Serve at room temperature or just warm, with whipped cream or ice-cream.

Optional: Add a pinch of cinnamon