Individual Christmas pies

Individual Christmas pies

This recipe for a stunning vegetarian Christmas alternative, can easily be reduced or increased to make as many as you need

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

MAKES 4

Easily doubled

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 1 hr

Cook time

Cook 1 hr

Vegetarian Freezable

Vegetarian

Freeze once cooked

Method

  1. Gently fry the leeks in the butter until softened. Add the mushrooms, mace and thyme, and turn up the heat a bit to soften the mushrooms and drive off any liquid that comes out of them. Stir in the potato for 2 mins, followed by the lentils, chestnuts and cream. Cook for 2 mins more, then take off the heat and stir in the 4 tbsp cranberries.
  2. To make the pastry, put the flour and suet in a food processor with 1 tsp salt. Whizz together until you can't see any big suet lumps, then keep pulsing while you add the milk, a spoon at a time, until the pastry comes together.
  3. Roll out a quarter of the pastry on a lightly floured surface, then use 4 individual pie dishes to cut 4 pastry lids - we used 4 x 250ml ramekins. Use a small star cutter to cut out a star from each lid, then keep stars and lids covered with cling film.
  4. Cut 4 strips of baking parchment and use a little butter to stick one in each pie dish, so the ends of the strips stick outeach side to help you remove the pies when baked. Gather lid scraps with the remaining pastry and divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll out each to £1 coin thickness and use to line each pie dish with an overhang. Divide the filling between the dishes. Top each with a lid, and roll down the overhang to meet the lid. Use a fork's prongs to press and seal edges. The pies can now be covered and chilled for up to 24 hrs before baking.
  5. To bake, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. Brush each pie with beaten egg and bake for 30 mins. Lift pies from dishes and sit directly onto a baking sheet. Mix 20 cranberries with the redcurrant jelly and divide between the star holes on top. Brush pastry stars with beaten egg, add a small thyme sprig to each, then add to the pie baking sheet and put back in the oven for 5-10 mins, until pies and stars are golden and crisp. Top each pie with a star and serve.
Try

TIP

This recipe makes four pies, but all the quantities are easily quartered or halved, which means it's just as easy to make one pie, or two - or as many as you want.

PER SERVING

742 kcalories, protein 17.0g, carbohydrate 78.0g, fat 42.0 g, saturated fat 21.0g, fibre 7.0g, sugar 8.0g, salt 1.48 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2011.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo Jane

    04 December 2011

    Jane commented on this recipe

    Just about to make the pastry! I made the filling last night. I hope the pastry tastes as good as the filling as its lovely. I'll rate once its all made and eaten :)

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  • Binder photo pshopper

    12 December 2011

    pshopper rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Absolutely delicious and a big hit with all the family. I also added half a vegetable stock cube to the mix. I was a bit dubious about the cranberries but they worked nicely and don't forget the little star on top or the cranberries, they looked very festive.

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  • Binder photo bingybongy

    20 December 2011

    bingybongy commented on this recipe

    This sounds delicious. If I froze them, would I defrost them before heating on the day?

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  • Binder photo Rachel

    21 December 2011

    Rachel commented on this recipe

    Great - NOW it's grammes with decimal points. Bring back ounces - I live in USA!

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  • Binder photo Rachel

    21 December 2011

    Rachel commented on this recipe

    Great - NOW it's grammes with decimal points. Bring back ounces - I live in USA!

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  • Binder photo Mrs Horse

    22 December 2011

    Mrs Horse rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This was very good but they don't sell Mace in switzerland so i used nutmeg instead (should have used more) and also i think it needed more salt and pepper - but overall it was excellent - and served with pancetta brussels sprouts was most delicious.

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  • Binder photo Jahane

    22 December 2011

    Jahane rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Really yummy, but wouldn't bother putting the cranberries in the main part of the pie as they're a little bitter (cranberry sauce on top is great though) and I didn't find the greaseproof paper handles worked - they just broke up so I had to bake the pies in the ramekins (not a big problem).

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  • Binder photo yoyo

    22 December 2011

    yoyo commented on this recipe

    This worked well for me. I used short crust pastry premade from the shops. I will try using a bit of stock powder next time and better quality mushrooms and the filling lacked a bit of flavour. Also, found it useful to use a rubber band to hold the bits of paper in place and once the pie has been constructed I just removed the rubber band.

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  • Binder photo yoyo

    22 December 2011

    yoyo rated this recipe

    4 stars

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  • Binder photo Genie

    24 December 2011

    Genie commented on this recipe

    Hey, I'm planning on making these pies for the feast tommorow, I was just wondering what is the best way to cook the chestnuts: roast or boil? Thanks. Genie

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  • Binder photo Genie

    24 December 2011

    Genie commented on this recipe

    Hey, I'm planning on making these pies for the feast tommorow, I was just wondering what is the best way to cook the chestnuts: roast or boil? Thanks. Genie

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  • Binder photo Rosycheeks

    25 December 2011

    Rosycheeks rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Had these for my Christmas dinner today. I halved the recipe, apart from adding an extra few nuts and lentils. We didn't have the herbs specified so I used dried sage, coriander leaf and fresh parsley. Added the fresh cranberries to the mix but didn't put the berries and jelly in. I also used bought shortcrust pastry for ease! They looked very pretty and tasted good.

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  • Binder photo merrimum

    27 December 2011

    merrimum rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Gorgeous pastry. However, next time, the filling ingredients need to be a bit more exciting so next time I'll adjust them to give it more flavour. Also, need more than a single strip of baking parchment in order to remove each pie intact. Made extra pies which worked well cold the next day.

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  • Binder photo carrotcustard

    08 January 2012

    carrotcustard rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    Filling pies but the mace was a bit overpowering, we couldn't taste the mushrooms, chestnuts or leeks at all. Will try to vary the seasoning next time. The stars cut out are genius, I do that with all pies now!

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  • Binder photo Food.junkie

    03 November 2012

    Food.junkie commented on this recipe

    Once you have made the pies,is it possible to freeze them? With living in Norway our main feast is Christmas eve,and due to working,dont have much time to make fresh on the day.........mann thanks!

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  • Binder photo Handy Andy

    09 December 2012

    Handy Andy commented on this recipe

    What can I substitute for mushrooms as we are not big fans?

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  • Binder photo Mrs Bun

    12 December 2012

    Mrs Bun commented on this recipe

    Has anyone tried freezing these and re-heating?

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

MAKES 4

Easily doubled

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 1 hr

Cook time

Cook 1 hr

Vegetarian Freezable

Vegetarian

Freeze once cooked

Ingredients

  • 200g leeks , thinly sliced
  • 25g butter , plus a knob
  • 100g mushrooms , finely chopped
  • 4 good pinches ground mace
  • 4 good pinches thyme leaves , plus a few extra small sprigs to decorate
  • 100g potatoes , grated
  • 100g Puy or green lentils , from a can, rinsed and drained
  • 100g cooked chestnuts , finely chopped
  • 8 tbsp double cream
  • 4 tbsp cranberries , plus about 20 to decorate
  • 1 egg , beaten, to glaze
  • 2 tsp redcurrant jelly

FOR THE PASTRY

  • 200g plain flour , plus a little extra
  • 100g light vegetarian suet
  • 8 tbsp milk
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PER SERVING

742 kcalories, protein 17.0g, carbohydrate 78.0g, fat 42.0 g, saturated fat 21.0g, fibre 7.0g, sugar 8.0g, salt 1.48 g

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