Baked Stilton Pastries Recipes

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Combine beer, butter, and salt in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring until butter is melted. Reduce heat to moderate and add flour all at once, then cook, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from side of pan, about 30 seconds. Continue to cook, stirring and flattening batter against bottom of pan, until excess moisture is evaporated and a film forms on bottom of pan. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.
• Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well with wooden spoon after each addition. (Batter will appear to separate initially but will become smooth once beaten.) Add cheese and stir until combined well.
• Spoon batter into pastry bag. Line a large baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper, then secure parchment by piping a dab of batter under each corner. Pipe approximately 3-inch lengths of batter 1 inch apart on baking sheet, making about 40 total.
• Bake until puffed, golden, and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Steps:

• Toss the venison in the flour, mustard powder and plenty of seasoning. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish, and brown the venison in batches. Take your time doing this to build up some good meaty flavours. Transfer the venison to a plate.
• Add the onion to the dish and cook for 5 mins to soften, stirring to release any meaty bits from the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle any remaining flour back into the dish and add the rosemary, ale, stock cube, venison, some salt, plenty of black pepper and 200ml water. Cover and cook for 45 mins until the meat is tender but not falling apart. Stir every now and then, and add a splash of water if the dish looks dry.
• Add the potato, honey and a splash of water if necessary. Cover and cook for 10 mins until the potato is just cooked. Leave to cool completely (you can chill overnight or freeze for up to two months).
• To make the pastry, tip the flour into a bowl and add the mustard powder and 1 tsp salt. Grate the butter into the flour, mixing in the strands and dipping the end of the block in flour every now and then to prevent it from clumping. Use a cutlery knife to stir the butter into the flour. Add 100-125ml cold water and mix again with your knife until the pastry forms a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 1 hr, removing the pastry from the fridge 10 mins before you roll it.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. On a floured surface, roll the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use a plate as a guide to cut out six 16cm circles. You may have to reroll the scraps to make all six.
• Divide the venison stew between the pastry discs, piling up the filling on one side. Crumble a little stilton over each one. Brush egg wash around the end of each pastry circle, then lift one side and stick down on the other to create pasties. Use a fork, or two fingers, to crimp the edges firmly shut. Transfer to baking trays lined with baking parchment and brush with more beaten egg. Brush with egg and cover in poppy seeds. You can now chill for 24 hrs, or cook straight away.
• Bake for 30 mins, swapping the trays over halfway through cooking if you need to, until the pastry is crisp and golden. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine sugar and butter in a small bowl and stir until well blended. Add cheese, cranberries and pecans. Stir well.
• Cut 1 inch off stem end of each pear; reserve top. Remove core from stem end, and scoop out about 2 tablespoons pulp from each pear to form a cup, using a melon baller or spoon. If necessary, cut about 1/4 inch from base of pears so they will sit flat. Place the pears in a 13 x9 inch baking dish. Fill each pear with about 2 tablespoons sugar mixture, and replace top on each.
• Combine juice and port in a small bowl, pour into baking dish. Bake pears at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until tender. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Grease and line a sturdy oven proof biscuit (cookie) sheet.
• Cut out 8 pastry circles - about 3" to 4" in diameter - a cup is a great template!
• Place the sliced potatoes on 4 of the pastry circles - leaving a 1/2" border.
• Season well with black pepper, and salt if you wish - remembering that Stilton is quite salty itself.
• Place a slice of Stilton cheese on top of the potatoes.
• Place the remaining 4 circles of pastry over the top - bringing up the bottom pastry circle and pinching them together to make a crust - the bottom pastry circle should sit over the top of the top pastry circle as a seal.
• Press the crust with the back of a fork to make a pattern and seal the pastry circles together.
• Cut two 1" slits in the top of each pie - to let the steam escape.
• Glaze the tops with the beaten egg and milk mixture.
• Place onto the lined and greased oven tray and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.
• Allow to cool slightly before eating, as the cheese will be very hot!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. and lightly butter a baking sheet.
• On a lightly floured surface cut out 24 pastry rounds from pastry sheet with a 1 1/2-inch round cutter and arrange 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Brush tops of rounds with some egg wash (be careful not to drip down sides of rounds) and bake in middle of oven until puffed and golden brown, about 12 minutes (rounds will puff unevenly). Transfer rounds with a spatula to a rack and cool slightly. Trim bottoms of rounds if necessary to create level pastries and cool completely on rack. Pastry rounds may be made 2 days ahead and kept in a sealable plastic bag at room temperature.
• Break Stilton into 24 small pieces (about 1/4 inch) and bring to room temperature. Top each pastry round with 1 piece Stilton and 1/2 teaspoon jam and serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• For crust:
• Blend both flours and salt in processor 5 seconds. Drop in shortening by tablespoonfuls. Cut in until coarsely diced. Add butter. Cut in until coarse meal forms. Transfer to bowl. Add 7 tablespoons ice water. Toss with fork until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball; divide into 4 equal pieces. Shape each into disk; wrap and chill at least 45 minutes and up to 1 day.
• For filling:
• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions. Sauté until deep brown, reducing heat if necessary to avoid burning, about 30 minutes. Add wine and thyme. Simmer until liquid evaporates, stirring often, about 3 minutes.Season with salt and pepper. Cool. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
• Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Roll out each dough disk between sheets of parchment paper to 9-inch round. Peel top parchment off each. Spread 1/4 of onion mixture on half of each round, leaving 1-inch plain border. Top onions with beef strips. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt over beef on each, then top each with 1/4 of cheese. Sprinkle with pepper. Brush dough border with some egg white. Using bottom parchment as aid, fold plain dough half over filling. Seal edges. Fold sealed edge over again; press with fork to double-seal.
• Brush each pasty with egg white. Cut 3 slits in each top crust. Divide pasties (still on parchment) between 2 large rimmed baking sheets.
• Bake pasties until crust is golden brown and filling is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; serve.

Steps:

• Put the flour, butter and Stilton in a food processor and mix briefly to form a smooth dough. You may also knead all the ingredients together by hand. Wrap and chill for 1 hour or until firm.
• Lightly grease some baking sheets.
• Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 2 inch squares, then cut the squares in half diagonally to make triangles.
• Place on the baking sheets and chill for 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 190C/375°F.
• Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
• Bake 5-7 minutes, or until golden.
• Transfer to wire rack to cool.