The “dew” and the dainty bake

Place the dainties on a floured baking tray making sure you leave space between each pastry. Now for the “dew” - the double egg wash. Egg wash each dainty – remember where you begin – leave for a couple of minutes, then repeat.

they look fab, even before the bake!

Bake in a hot oven – 200fan/220c/Gas 7 for 15 minutes, then turn off your oven and leave for another 5 minutes. Don't forget to set your timer!

Here they are :

I love it when a plan ...

A pleasure to make and a greater pleasure to eat. A word of warning – tempted though you may be allow them to cool – you'll be sorry if you don't!

The pastry fork and the dainty

You can crimp the edge or, here's another idea.

Say hello to your new best friend and the latest in the kitchen kit category – a tiny pastry fork – aka a cake fork. It's a win win – small, doesn't take up space and inexpensive. You can spend as much or as little as you want. I bought mine from IKEA - £5.50 for six.

it measures 14cms/5½” in length

The pastry fork is the perfect tool to edge your dainty – the fork is small and easy to control. You get a neat and even edge.

Have a look : 

A great result – the “dew” and the bake up next.

The dainty

“Dainty” meaning pleasing to the taste; choice; delicious. A smaller version of the original pasty, again ideal for a picnic, a lunch box or a survival kit so perfectly portable or just because you like them!

Use a quarter of the pasty pastry and roll out on a floured surface and using a cutter (or the top of a cup) – you'll get eight per quarter – 3”/8cms in diameter, may be even 9. I love making these “dainty morsels” - it's a kind of therapy – I think I need to get out more!

Anyway, here's the recipe :

Cheese and Onion Dainty

filling

1 medium or half a large onion, finely diced

50g finely grated Parmesan

celery salt and black pepper

sprinkle of dried parsley

Combine all the above ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Use approximately 10g of mixture and place in the centre of your pastry circle. Dampen the edge of half the circle and fold to seal.

The step by step photos so far :

There's more ...

Pasty bits and pieces

Last year we went to Padstow on holiday. We love to arrive ahead of time, park, and wander - just what you need after a long journey. Our custom is to eat in on the first night and part of the “wander” is to check out where the nearest fish and chip shop is in relation to where we're staying. We had a fab house in New Street, just three doors up from St. Petroc's Bistro one of Rick Stein's restaurants. The chippy was literally a few yards further down the hill – if I'd have shouted our order they'd have heard me – result!

A small tip – don't order a Cornish Pasty from a chippy, I did and it was not a good experience. Hey ho, can't win 'em all. Never let it be said that I shirk my culinary duties and the next day I found The Chough Bakery, 3 The Strand, Padstow PL28 8AJ – on the Quayside. Chough is a small family run bakery and has been around for nearly 30 years – well qualified! I purchased a vegetarian Cornish Pasty, it was fantastic and wasn't the only one eaten during the week. You can always tell how good a bakery is by the queue. I also bought pasties to bring home.

Note to self – check out the local bakeries first!

During my research for this series I read that pasties keep hot for a long time – not rocket science I know – but apparently if you want them to keep hot even longer wrap them straight from the oven in either greaseproof or baking paper and then a clean tea towel. The story went on saying that a pasty made in Helston would still be “hot” when arriving in Exeter. Sounds a bit like a fairy story. It takes 2 hours to drive from Helston to Exeter and approximately 100 miles.

Whilst I didn't drive the distance I did wrap a pasty as it said and left it for two hours. Guess what … it does work and the pasty, whilst not piping hot was more than warm – sounds ridiculous, is there such a temperature between warm and hot?

I hope you've enjoyed this series on the humble pasty. Simple, tasty fare which deserves all its accolades. Perfect portable food!

I'm sure you won't be surprised to know that I've a few more “pasty” ideas for the portable food slot – watch this space.

The baking and the cutting

Make sure you sprinkle flour on your baking tray, it prevents sticking. Pre-heat your oven 200fan/220c/Gas 7.

Baking a meat pasty

Bake for 30 minutes and check. Turn the

tray and bake for a further 20 minutes. Turn off the oven

and leave the pasties in, with the oven door closed for

another 15 minutes.

If you find that your pasties are brown enough after

the 30 minutes turn the oven down to 140fan/160c/Gas 3

for the following 20 minutes.

Baking a veggie pasty

I used a fan oven and baked for 20 minutes, then

turned the tray for a further 20 minutes, turned off the

oven and left, with door closed, for a further 10 minutes

Here they are : 

baked and beautiful – even though I say so myself!

anyone fancy a pasty?

In a word – yum!

Crimpinology

Like I said, you don't have to achieve a perfect circle – the crimping hides all the imperfections – have a look :

Here's the pastry folded over the filling and pressed down

firmly into a semi circle – sort of!

To crimp is to compress into small folds. To become a competent crimper takes lots of practice – be brave and have a go!

Have the pasty in front of you as illustrated in the photo above. If you are right handed begin on the right – on the left if you are left handed. Fold the corner end of the pasty over, place your thumb into the fold – this will help give you an even crimp, fold the pastry edge over and over towards you and continue until you reach the other end, tuck the end underneath and press to seal. Complete by making a small incision in the top of the pasty to release the steam.

They look like this :

Crimped and ready to egg wash

Egg washed and ready for the oven

Nearly there!

Step by step pasty pastry photos

Flour your surface well, unwrap your

dough

Cut your dough into four equal pieces

Don't stress if you don't achieve a perfect circle

Layer your meat and/or veggies as you prefer in the centre of the pastry. Moisten one half of your circle with water.

It looks like this :

Now for the tricky bit – the crimping – what I call crimpinology!