cookie cut chicken & leek pies?

A simple and forgiving recipe is this classic humble Chicken Pie!
A fool proof pie filling made into mini pies and enjoyed in a different light. A one handed cutesy eat, the next picnic hit.

ingredients
1 x chicken & leek pie mixture (filling recipe link)
1 pkt frozen puff pastry, defrosted (remove from freezer approx 30 minutes before using and cover with a clean damp cloth)
plain flour for dusting
& a cookie cutter
to do
Pre-make chicken and leek pie filling a day ahead if you have time, refrigerate until ready to use.
Pre-heat an oven to 200C.
Sprinkle plain flour onto a clean and dry bench top, and place a sheet of pastry on top of flour, dusting with a little extra flour. Place the cookie cutter on the pastry sheet, turning once or twice until it cuts through the pastry, remove the circles and set aside. Repeat until all pastry sheet's have been used and discard excess pastry.
Place tablespoonfuls of pie filling in the centre of each pastry circle, rub some water around the edge of the pastry and top with a second pastry circle. Pinch in the sides to seal completely and place on a baking paper lined tray.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove immediately from oven tray (reduces soggy pastry) and place on a cake cooling rack to cool or eat!

love and kisses, amie.

'pretty in pink' meringue swirls

Every girls favourite, meringue and the colour pink are gently combined to create these deliciously light and pretty pink meringue swirls. Pretty as a picture, make the meringues for a special friend (just because!), or for your children when they race through the door after school (starrrrving!) or just for fun. Great to make and bake next time you have a few left over egg whites from making lemon curd!

makes: hmmm, a few over 10, size dependant

ingredients

4 egg whites only (be careful not to break any yolk into the whites or this will ruin your foam from forming)

1 cup caster sugar

pink food colouring

to do

Pre-heat an oven to 150C for fifteen minutes. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and set aside.

Beat egg whites in a super clean bowl under a good quality stand mixer (Breville's BEM800 Pro) gently for approx 60 seconds or until soft -stiff peaks form. Slowly add the sugar and beat on high until sugar has dissolved approx 8 minutes*.

Spoon tablespoonfuls of meringue gently onto the baking tray, using your own creative touch.

Add a drop or two of colour to the tops and using the end of the spoon swirl the colour through the meringue gently to create a swirl appearance.

Bake for 35-40 minutes and turn off the oven, leaving the door ajar for 2-3 hours to dry out the centres. Alternatively you can remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack to keep them ever so slightly chewy.

nom, nom, nom!

Serve with fresh whipped cream, raspberries and lemon curd, if you have been some.

love pink.

love amie.

*The mixture should have a luscious shine to it and be thick with a slight resistance when folded. When you rub the mixture between your thumb and index finger there should be minimal if any sugar crystals remaining between your fingers.

lil lemon messy pud

There are a few staple ingredients that are forever lounging about in my fridge or cupboard, and lemons are one of them. Ever so adaptable the sour and feisty lemon lends itself to sweet and savoury dishes. Grated and stirred through a risotto or beef stew, or made into a delicate lemon curd for a tart as seen here!

Fresh lemon curd is delicious served on morning brioche for breakfast, or spooned into a baked tart and sprinkled with fresh raspberries for an effortless dessert.

love lemons...

love amie x

chocolate animal brownies

Call it a train wreck if you will, but these cute little chocolate fudge brownies will assist in feeding and helping animals for the RSPCA. I am donating the money raised from these ultra sweet and decadent delights to a passionate and devoted RSPCA fundraiser - Cassie's Cupcake day for RSPCA.

If you want to donate to the cause, then click on the link and help an animal!

We have raised $25 for her cause so far...

love amie x

a little bowl of comfort, called Dahl

Those who know me, will be familiar with this recipe.
A dear friend Brooke, gave an emergency dahl recipe call whilst rummaging through the supermarket and it re-ignited my dahl obsession once again.
A healthy soul warming meal, filled with freshly roasted spices and served with natural yogurt, chopped herbs and a generous squeeze of lemon or lime (Vitamin C) to help your body absorb the non-haem iron in the lentils! Fantastic for vegetarians :-)
Click on this link for the recipe for:
red lentil dahl
love amie x

sweet sweet potato

The sweetest sweet potato made into a delicious mid afternoon winter soup snack...

ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, sliced

3 chicken stock cubes

1 tablespoon of each parsley, thyme, coriander

2 teaspoons coriander

1-2 teaspoon smoked paprika, optional

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, chopped

2 pears, peeled, cored, chopped

to serve:

1/4 cup natural yogurt

1/4 cup fresh herbs (coriander, dill, thyme), chopped

garlic & cheese toast

to do

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium heat and add onion. Cook onion for 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, stock cubes, herbs and spices, stirring cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.

Add sweet potato, pears and approximately 4 cups water, bring mixture to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

Transfer mixture to a blender jug and pulse until smooth. Add extra water if a thinner texture is desired.

Serve and eat.

love amie x

winter blues

mini blueberry turnovers are a perfect warm sweet treat to ward of those winter 'blues', excuse the pun! Great for a special weekend brunch, and served warm with fresh ricotta and chocolate.
blueberry turnovers
makes approx 14 small half moon turnovers

ingredients
1 x pizza dough recipe (halve the salt for a slightly sweeter dough)
1 x pkt frozen blueberries
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
to serve
icing sugar, dusted
melted chocolate, drizzled on top

to do
Pre-heat oven to 200C for fifteen minutes.
Make pizza dough according to directions in the above link.
Place blueberries in a colander and rest over a bowl, allow to de-frost.
Divide pizza dough evenly into 14 small dough balls.
Flatten out dough ball, using the palm of your hand to 0.5cm thick.
Spoon teaspoonfuls of blueberries and a generous pinch of brown sugar on the middle of each pizza round. (add a little ricotta cheese, optional) Fold the furthest dough side back towards you, covering all the blueberries and pinch the edges to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and mixture.
Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown and lightly puffed. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
Transfer to a wire cake cooling rack and drizzle with melted chocolate or dust with icing sugar!
yum.
love amie x