14th December 2021

We had leftover stew from the weekend, just not enough for 3 and so we decided to make cheats pies.  We took a ready rolled puff pastry sheet from the shops, cut out 6 circles, gathered the pastry scraps, rerolled the puff and put it back into the fridge and then fitted the pastry into the bottom of a muffin tin, filled with stew, cut out lids (and managed to get 1 more pie), joined the lid to the bottoms, cut a hole in the top of the pie and baked for 30 mins. 

The pies were completely gorgeous but the error I made was not lining or buttering the muffin tin (I don't think I usually do but these stuck!) Thinking now, a great thing to do would be to use cupcake cases, you can cut the correct pasty size as you can use them as a guide and then put the pastry in and you know it won’t stick.  Just so you know I have not tried this, I just think it should work.

A few notes, ready made and rolled pastry is fabulous IF you buy the all butter puff.  The deliciousness of pastry increases with the butter v vegetable oil content.

The size of a circle to fill a muffin hole takes me by surprise every time, it is always bigger than you think, remember when you are trying to gauge it that it has to go into the corners and up the sides.

Once you have cut out your 6 circles just gather and push the pastry together to form a ball.  You need to work quickly because the butter will start to melt and the pastry will become unworkable.

If you don't have a rolling pin just wash a wine bottle and use that.

You MUST fill the pies right to the very top because nobody likes a stingy pie.

You need to pierce the pie lid so that steam can escape.

Try to just eat one, I challenge you.