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6 recipes that are easy as pie

Sweet and savoury tarts are exactly the comfort food you need

Eggs and Smoked Beef Sausage Pie
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Bake time: 30 mins
Serves: 8
Ingredients
For the pastry:
250 gm all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
60 gm cold butter
60 gm vegetable shortening
Ice water, as required
For the filling:
250 gm smoked beef sausage
35 gm onion
50 gm cherry tomato
35 gm red pepper
35 gm cheddar cheese
4 eggs
60 ml cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Prepare the pastry (see recipe on next page).
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Brown the sausage and onions; drain off the grease.
Place the piecrust into the pie pan and press into the sides and bottom of the pan. Crimp the edges of the piecrust.
Spread the sausage out evenly on the bottom of the crust.
Sprinkle the chopped cherry tomatoes, red peppers and cheese on top.
Whisk the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper together in a bowl; pour this mixture over the other ingredients in the pie.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until eggs are firm and the crust is nicely browned. Serve.
Roasted Chicken and Summer Vegetable Pie
Prep time: 1.5 hrs
Cook time: 45 mins
Bake time: 20-30 mins
Serves: 8

Ingredients
For the pastry:
250 gm all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
60 gm cold butter
60 gm vegetable shortening
Ice water, as required
For the filling:
1 whole chicken (1.6-1.8 kg)
Olive oil, as required
Salt and pepper to taste
6 rashers beef bacon
1 red pepper
1 carrot
1 celery
45 gm butter
45 flour
225 ml milk
200 ml chicken stock
Method
Sift the flour and salt together to ensure a light, flaky pastry.
Grate the butter and vegetable shortening together.
Using your fingers, gently rub the butter and vegetable shortening into the flour mix.
Once it resembles coarse breadcrumbs, gently add ice water to the mixture, about a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is firm and holds well together.
Place the pie dough in the fridge and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes before rolling and shaping.
Preheat oven to 180°C.
For the filling: gently rub the whole chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Bake it in the oven for at least an hour or until the juices are clear and the joints loose. Allow the chicken to cool down after baking; then, remove the skin and pull/ flake the meat. Set aside.
In a saucepan, sauté the beef bacon, red pepper, carrot and celery together with a dash of olive oil, until the mixture is soft and translucent. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and allow to cook for 2 minutes (this is important in order to cook out the taste of the flour).
Pour in the hot milk and chicken stock and whisk vigorously to ensure a smooth chicken veloute, and mix this with the chicken and veggies. Set aside. Finally, remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out to about 2 cm. Line your desired mould with the pie dough and place the filling inside. Cover and cut off any excess pastry, and brush with egg wash before placing it in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 200°C, and bake the pie for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve.

Wild Mushroom and Truffle Pie
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Bake time: 15-20 mins
Serves: 8

Ingredients
For the pastry:
250 gm all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
60 gm cold butter
60 gm vegetable shortening
Ice water, as required
For the filling:
750 gm mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
5 sprigs thyme, leaves removed, chopped
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
200 ml vegetable stock
200 ml cream
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
2 ml truffle oil, to finish

Method
Prepare the pastry (see previous recipe).
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
In a large frying pan, sauté the mushrooms in a splash of olive oil/butter until golden brown.
Add the garlic and thyme and sauté for another minute before stirring in the flour.
Pour in the vegetable stock and cream and whisk until the sauce is smooth. Allow to simmer gently for 5-10 minutes; season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Transfer the creamy mushrooms to individual ovenproof ramekins/bowls.
Roll the pastry out on a floured surface and cut out circles big enough to fit the ramekins.
Press the pastry onto the sides of the ramekins and crimp the sides. Cut a small slit into the pastry to allow steam to escape then brush with egg yolk.
Place in the oven and allow to bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and cooked through.
Remove from the oven, drizzle with truffle oil, and serve.
Summer Peach Pie
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Bake time: 25 mins
Serves: 8

Ingredients
For the pastry:
477 gm flour
75 gm sugar
4.5 gm salt
412 gm butter, cubed
35 ml milk
For the poaching liquid:
2 L water
150 gm caster sugar
5 ml vanilla essence
1 pc cinnamon stick
For the filling:
1 kg fresh peaches
150 gm caster sugar
15 ml water
30 gm cornstarch
4 gm cinnamon powder
Method
Prepare the dough (see last recipe).
Combine all the ingredients for the poaching liquid in a saucepan. Place the saucepan on medium to low heat and allow the sugar to dissolve.
Poach the peaches in this liquid for 20-30 minutes or until soft. Once cooked, remove them from the pot and peel. Allow the peaches to cool before slicing them in quarters. Reserve some poaching liquid for the filling.
For the filling, add caster sugar and water to a saucepan. Allow the sugar to caramelise; it should resemble a light brown colour. Add quartered peaches, cornstarch and cinnamon and reserved liquid. Use a rubber spatula to ensure all the ingredients are well combined. Allow the filling to cool.
Place the filling in a lined pie mould; cover the top with lattice, sprinkle with brown sugar and brush with egg wash.
Bake at 175°C for 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve.
Cherry Pie
Prep time: 20 mins
Bake time: 30-35 mins
Serves: 8

Ingredients
For the pastry:
477 gm flour
75 gm sugar
4.5 gm salt
412 gm butter, cubed
35 ml milk
For the filling:
1 kg frozen cherries
300 gm caster sugar
30 gm cornstarch
4 gm cinnamon powder
Brown sugar, to finish
Method
Prepare the dough (see next recipe).
Place all the ingredients for the filling in a saucepot, except brown sugar, and allow to simmer on medium to low heat for at least 20-30 minutes.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Remove the pastry from the chiller and roll out to about 1-2 cm thickness.
Line your desired mould with the pastry and prick the bottom layer with a fork to allow the steam to escape and ensure an evenly cooked pastry.
Blind bake the pastry at 160°C for 15 minutes, then place your cooled cherry filling inside. Line the top of your cherry pie with the lattice which you can cut from the pastry.
Sprinkle a little brown sugar on top and bake at 160°C for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve.
Apple Crumble Pie
Prep time: 45 mins
Bake time: 1 hr (approx.)
Serves: 8

Ingredients
For the pastry:
477 gm flour
75 gm sugar
4.5 gm salt
412 gm butter, cubed
35 ml milk
For the apple filling:
200 gm Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges
3 gm ginger, grated
3 gm nutmeg, grated
6 gm cinnamon powder
7 ml vanilla essence
150 gm caster sugar
50 gm brown sugar
25 gm cornstarch
Zest of two lemons
Juice of two lemons
For the apple crumble:
170 gm butter, melted
227 gm flour
113 gm caster sugar
225 gm brown sugar
25 gm oats
5 gm salt
6 gm cinnamon
Method
Sieve all the dry ingredients together to make sure it is well combined. Add all the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk together till smooth. Shape the pastry into a ball and place in the chiller; allow the pastry to rest for at least 45 minutes before removing and shaping.
Mix all the ingredients for the filling and bake at 175°C for 15-20 minutes.
Mix all the ingredients for the crumble together. Spread the mixture evenly on a baking sheet and bake at 160°C for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool. Using your hands, crumble the mixture and set aside.
Remove the pastry from the chiller and roll out to about 1-2 cm thickness.
Line your desired mould with the pastry and prick the bottom layer with a fork to allow the steam to escape and ensure an evenly cooked pastry.
Blind bake the pastry at 160°C for 15 minutes.
Place the cooled apple filling inside, and sprinkle the top with the apple crumble.
Bake at 170°C for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve.