PIES!!

I love baking pies - I just don't bake them often enough.  Today however I did bake pies - one for dinner and one for pudding. For pudding I made an apple pie and for dinner a beef and potato filling.

Ingredients for apple pie (no real amounts this time as how much depends on the size of the dish used).:

• Pastry (enough for the dish you wish to use)
• Apples (one per person)
• Cinnamon (to taste)
• Brown sugar (1/2 table spoon per apple)

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 220 C/430 F
2. Butter the dish you wish to use with butter
3. Line with pastry leaving a flap sticking out on each long side that is about enough to reach to the middle.
4. Core the apples and cut them into 8ths
5. Mix the sugar with the cinnamon in a bowl 
6. Add the apples to the bowl and stir to cover the apples with the sugar
7. Put the apple/sugar mix into the dish with the pastry.
8. Fold the flaps over so they meet in the middle - leave an opening and then cover the top with any sugar left in the bowl you mixed the apples with the sugar in.
9. Bake in the oven for about 30 - 45 minutes.

The beef pie takes a bit more work but tastes lovely. I used bacon fat for my version as my father had taught me to keep the fat from cooking things like bacon and using the fat to cook other things with. This gives a special flavour to the food you are cooking and makes it taste even better.

Ingredients:

• 200 gr / 8 ox minced (ground) beef
• 400 gr / 16 oz small potatoes, sliced
• 2 spring onions, sliced (optional)
• 2 large tomatoes, diced (optional)
  
• Bell peppers or other veg that fries well can be added to taste.
• Pepper
• Gravy granules/powder ( I used Bisto)
• Glass of water.
• 25 grams of butter/margarine/grease

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 220 C/430 F 
2. Melt the fat in the frying pan (skillet) you are using.
3. Add the beef and onions 
4. Once brown add the tomatoes and fry for a moment.
5. Add the potatoes and fry for a little longer.
6. Add the water and bring to the boil
7. Add the gravy granules/powder
8. Simmer for about 10 minutes then put in a pie ish.
9. Cover with pastry and put in the oven for about 30 - 45 minutes.

Enjoy!