Bacon, blue cheese and mushroom pies for cheese lovers

Pie's are one of my favourite all time dishes, crispy pastry, stuffed with a delicious filling, what more can you ask for!

This is another recipe that has been born out of a culmination of mine and a girlfriend's favourite ingredients, then working out they best way for them to work in harmony to produce the perfect pie!

And I think we succeeded!

When cooking, the pies smelt so good and we couldn't wait to tuck in! Even more surprisingly we managed this despite enjoying a very nice bottle of Pinot Noir whilst cooking them! (didn't realise it was 14.5%!) Currently on special at £3.75 in Tesco, can highly recommend if you don't have work the next morning...!

The cheese pastry is a must! It creates a really delicious, crispy casing - ideally make these in pretty pie dishes which can be served in them as the pastry needs to be thin. If you are not a cheese-o-holic try switching to standard puff pastry, or shortcrust

I so hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

Makes 2 individual, generous pies
30 minutes prep and 25 minutes in oven - The pastry can be made in advance to save time.

A little effort

Ingredients:

125g Chestnut mushrooms, diced chunky

250g Closed cap mushrooms - as above

1/3 pack Castello blue cheese roughly chopped, if you can't get this Dolcelatte is similar

125ml double cream

3 smoked bacon medallions, roughly chopped (bacon's healthier sister and no need to trim!)

2 tbsp vermouth

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 heaped tsp butter

Black pepper to taste

1 tsp flour

Quantity of Cheese shortcrust pastry, made as per Good housekeeping base recipe (circa 1973 hence the ounces!):

4oz plain flour

2oz butter and lard (half and half approx)

1oz grated Parmesan

1oz finely grated mature cheddar

Pinch of salt

Cold water for binding

1) First make your pastry - place the butter, lard and flour in a food processor, blitz till like fine breadcrumbs, if doing by hand, simply rub the fat and flour together using fingertips, until also like breadcrumbs.

2) Slowly drizzle in cold water until you have a soft dough, about 6 tsp, knead lightly and chill until needed. Line two pie dishes, leaving enough to top - the dough should be quite thin.

3) Heat a large flat pan, add the bacon, oil and cover, cook for 4 minutes, add the mushroom's and simmer for about 5 minutes, occasionally stirring

4) Now add the flour, mix in well, add the vermouth and garlic powder, stir well, add the cream slowly and season with a little black pepper, now stir in the blue cheese until melted, transfer into the pie dishes, brush all open edges with egg and place the top on, smoothing down, trim sides and brush with egg and bake for 25 minutes at 160 fan / 180 normal or until the pastry is gorgeously brown and crispy!

Be careful as they are very hot inside!