Cheats beef stew pies

Makes 16 mini pies or 1 large pie

Preparation time: 10minutes
Cooking time:
1½ hours

Ingredients
800g leftover stew
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 packet of rolled puff pastry
1 packet of rolled short crust pastry

Equipment needed
You also need a 12 hole muffin tin or one large tin
1 cookie cutter the same size as your muffin tin

Method
Preheat your oven to 200c.

Unroll the puff pastry and with the cookie cutter, cut out 12 lids.  Put the cut pastry into the fridge.

Unroll the short crust pastry and if you are doing individual pies, with a saucer, cut 12 rounds.  Carefully push the rounds into your muffin tins, pushing together any overlap so that it is not too thick and the pastry sits in nicely.  Go around the edges and push your pastry so it is sitting just above the rim.  If you are making a large pie, line the tin and trim so it is just above the rim.

Poke the pastry all over with a fork and put into the fridge for 10 minutes.

While your pastry is chilling, cut out 12 pieces of greaseproof paper (or 1 large piece if you are making a large pie), the paper should be large enough to line the tin.  Once your pastry has chilled, line each hole with a piece of greaseproof paper and put baking beans (or dried beans) on top.  Blind bake for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes remove your pie shells from the oven and remove the beans and paper.  With a knife very carefully tidy the top of each pastry shell so the overhang is now removed.  Fill your pies with the leftover stew until almost full to the top and put on the lid. Push the pastry lid over the edges and try to push together the base and lid to seal.

Add 1 tsp of water to your egg yolk and brush over your egg wash on every pie.

Cook for roughly 30 mins until cooked.  Leave for 5 mins to firm and cool before you take out of the tins.