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Pies in the Pie Maker
Take one pie maker.....
There has been lots of discussion over on Cheapskates Chatter about pies. And not just ordinary pies either, but homemade pies. Then I dedicated a You Tube show to the pie maker and it has just snowballed from there.
Pie makers aren't new. They've been around for about 25 years - we bought ours before Hannah was born. Back then they were expensive but they became more popular a few years ago when cheaper models were brought to the market and they just took off. These days they sell out almost as soon as they hit the shelves.
The pie maker is on my list of kitchen essentials. This handy little appliance makes using leftovers a breeze. It takes away the desire for takeaway. On a busy Saturday or Sunday you can have a hot lunch on the table in fifteen minutes with a pie maker, and each pie costs just cents to make!
Those bakery pies may taste great, but they cost a bomb. The humble kitchen pie maker lets you create your own delicious pies, in around 10 minutes, and they are better than anything you can buy.
Pie Maker Tips
Bushman’s Pies
Ingredients:
2 sheets puff pastry
200g steak, cut into 1cm chunks
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp beef stock powder
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
100g mushrooms, diced
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water
Method:
Thaw pastry. Cut four bases and four tops from the puff pastry . You will only get two tops from each sheet of pastry. Toss steak in combined flour, stock powder and pepper to coat. Heat oil in frypan, cook steak and onions until browned. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for seven minutes; cool. Make four pies as per instructions.
Apple and Custard Pies
Ingredients:
1 sheet shortcrust pastry
1 sheet puff pastry
1 cup stewed apple (can use tinned pie apple)
1/4 cup sultanas
1 cup very thick custard (homemade or bought)
1 tbsp sugar
Method:
Thaw pastry. Cut four bases from the shortcrust pastry and four tops from the puff pastry. You may need to jiggle the tops to fit onto the pastry sheet. Mix the apple and sultanas. Press bases into pie maker. Place a quarter cup of custard in the base of each pie. Top with a quarter cup of apple mixture. Place puff pastry tops onto pies. Sprinkle with sugar. Cook as per pie maker instructions.
There has been lots of discussion over on Cheapskates Chatter about pies. And not just ordinary pies either, but homemade pies. Then I dedicated a You Tube show to the pie maker and it has just snowballed from there.
Pie makers aren't new. They've been around for about 25 years - we bought ours before Hannah was born. Back then they were expensive but they became more popular a few years ago when cheaper models were brought to the market and they just took off. These days they sell out almost as soon as they hit the shelves.
The pie maker is on my list of kitchen essentials. This handy little appliance makes using leftovers a breeze. It takes away the desire for takeaway. On a busy Saturday or Sunday you can have a hot lunch on the table in fifteen minutes with a pie maker, and each pie costs just cents to make!
Those bakery pies may taste great, but they cost a bomb. The humble kitchen pie maker lets you create your own delicious pies, in around 10 minutes, and they are better than anything you can buy.
Pie Maker Tips
- If you don't make pastry, use generic pastry sheets - you'll save money and they bake beautifully in the pie maker.
- Try to use shortcrust pastry for the base and puff for the tops of your pies for a nice change.
- Cut pastry when it is partly thawed so it doesn't stick to the cutters, the pastry mat or you.
- Follow instructions for filling quantities. Overfill and the pies will leak while cooking, under fill and the top will fall.
- Fillings should be cooked and cool before adding to pie.
- Cool pies before bagging and freezing.
- For a healthier pie use sandwich bread or Mountain Bread or wraps instead of pastry.
- Leftovers are perfect pie fillings. Bolognese sauce, taco filling, casseroles and stews, tinned fruit, custard, vegetables, cheese sauce and gravy can all be used in pie fillings.
Bushman’s Pies
Ingredients:
2 sheets puff pastry
200g steak, cut into 1cm chunks
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp beef stock powder
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
100g mushrooms, diced
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water
Method:
Thaw pastry. Cut four bases and four tops from the puff pastry . You will only get two tops from each sheet of pastry. Toss steak in combined flour, stock powder and pepper to coat. Heat oil in frypan, cook steak and onions until browned. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for seven minutes; cool. Make four pies as per instructions.
Apple and Custard Pies
Ingredients:
1 sheet shortcrust pastry
1 sheet puff pastry
1 cup stewed apple (can use tinned pie apple)
1/4 cup sultanas
1 cup very thick custard (homemade or bought)
1 tbsp sugar
Method:
Thaw pastry. Cut four bases from the shortcrust pastry and four tops from the puff pastry. You may need to jiggle the tops to fit onto the pastry sheet. Mix the apple and sultanas. Press bases into pie maker. Place a quarter cup of custard in the base of each pie. Top with a quarter cup of apple mixture. Place puff pastry tops onto pies. Sprinkle with sugar. Cook as per pie maker instructions.
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