English Cheese Pie Food

ENGLISH CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• CRUST: Sift together the flour, salt and sugar into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
• Add the butter to the flour all at once.
• Mix together until well blended.
• Then add the shortening and continue to blend by cutting it into the flour mixture.
• The mixture will begin to look like crumbs or small pebbles.
• It will have the texture of oatmeal.
• Sprinkle the water over the dough, distributing it evenly throughout.
• The dough will be come sticky and cling together.
• Gather it into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap.
• Chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• When the pastry has chilled, roll it out on a pastry board to a thickness of 1/8-inch.
• The easiest way is to roll the dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper.
• Roll the dough up onto the rolling pin and transfer it to a 9-inch pie tin.
• Gently press it into the tin without stretching it.
• Use the excess pastry to make flutes or cut away the excess with a sharp knife or scissors.
• Prick the bottom of the pastry shell thoroughly to prevent trapped air from bubbling the dough.
• Butter a sheet of aluminum foil and place the foil down into the shell.
• Weight it down with weights or beans to keep the crust from lifting up.
• Bake the crust for 7 to 10 minutes then remove the weight and the foil.
• Return the crust to the oven and continue baking for another 8 to 10 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned.
• If you have difficulty rolling out the dough, do not reroll it; just patch the tears or holes.
• Rerolling will make the pastry tough.
• FILLING: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Press the cottage cheese through a sieve.
• In a small saucepan, gently heat the cream and the sherry until steamy, do not allow it to scorch.
• In a mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, rosewater, and the spices until frothy -- about 5 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the cottage cheese until it is smooth then add the egg mixture and blend well.
• Add the hot cream and sherry slowly to the cheese mixture and beat until well blended.
• Stir in the currants and pour the mixture into the prepared crust.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, then allow to cool.
• Chill and sprinkle with cinnamon.

MOM'S CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• Separate one egg. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg white; set aside. In another small bowl, combine egg and egg yolk; set aside., On a lightly floured surface, unroll pastry; cut in half. Roll out one half of pastry into an 8-in. circle. Transfer to a 7-in. pie plate; trim pastry even with edge. Brush with egg white; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon., In a large bowl, combine the cheeses, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, salt and egg mixture. Pour into prepared pastry., Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in pastry. Brush remaining egg white over pastry; sprinkle with remaining cinnamon., Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

CHEESE & ONION PIE

Steps:

• First, make the pastry. Tip the flours into a medium bowl with the cayenne, onion seeds, parmesan and a generous pinch of salt. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then pour in half the egg and 2 tbsp cold water and bring everything together using your hands. Knead a couple of times until smooth. Flatten a third of the dough into a disc, then do the same with the remaining dough. Wrap both pastry discs and chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins. Will keep chilled for up to two days.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat until sizzling, then scatter in the onions, bay, thyme, a large pinch of salt and good grinding of black pepper. Stir, then cook slowly for 10 mins until the onions have cooked down and started to caramelise. Stir in the sliced potatoes, cover and cook for 8-10 mins more, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are soft and starting to break down. Stir in the cream, remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool. Once cool, remove and discard the bay, then fold in the cheese.
• Roll the smaller pastry disc out on a lightly floured surface to the size of a dinner plate and lift onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Roll out the remaining pastry disc along with any offcuts to a circle about 5cm wider than the first. Spoon the filling into the middle of the smaller circle on the baking sheet, leaving a 4cm border. Brush the exposed border with some of the remaining beaten egg, then drape over the larger pastry circle. Tuck the edge around the filling to enclose it, as if making a giant ravioli. Trim the edge to neaten, then crimp with a cutlery knife handle or fork to seal. Brush the pie all over with most of the remaining beaten egg, and use any trimmings to make decorations, if you like.
• Heat the oven to 210C/190C fan/gas 7. Bake the pie for 35-40 mins until deeply golden, brushing with the rest of the beaten egg halfway through. Leave to cool on the baking sheet for at least 20 mins before cutting into wedges, or leave to cool completely and serve cold.