Blackberry & ginger pie,

Plum & berry sherry cobbler

BLACKBERRY & GINGER PIE

SERVES 6

If you can’t find a 17cm pie dish, make another half batch of pastry to fit a 20cm pie dish.

500g frozen blackberries 1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar 1/2 cup (160g) cherry or raspberry jam 25g crystallised (candied) ginger, chopped 2 tsp cornflour 1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tbs water 1 tbs demerara sugar Thickened cream, to serve

PASTRY

1 1/3 cups (200g) plain flour 1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar 1/4 tsp fine sea salt 125g cold unsalted butter, cut into 2cm cubes 2 tsp apple cider vinegar mixed with 1/3 cup (80ml) cold water and 4 ice cubes

For the pastry, combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add butter and toss to coat. Turn out onto a clean work surface and, using a pastry cutter (or flat-bladed knife), roughly cut butter into flour (leaving some large chunks of butter so the pastry will be nice and flaky). Create a well in the centre of flour mixture and add vinegar water in 3 batches, working it in with your hands to form a rough dough (you may not need all the water). Discard ice. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 3 hours.

Roll out one-third of the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to form a 20cm × 15cm rectangle, 3mm thick. Cut into fifteen 8mm × 20cm strips. Place them on a baking tray and cover with plastic wrap. Roll out the rest of the pastry to a thickness of 3mm and line the base and side of a 17cm × 3cm-deep pie dish. Chill all the pastry for 30 minutes.

Cook blackberries, caster sugar, jam and ginger in a pan over medium heat for 15 minutes or until syrupy. Stir 1/4 cup (60ml) syrup with cornflour until smooth. Return cornflour mixture to pan and cook for a further 4 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Cool completely.

Pour the filling into the pastry-lined dish. Make a loose lattice top with the chilled strips and place it over the filling. Press the edges to seal and trim any excess pastry. Freeze for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Brush pastry with egg wash and scatter with demerara sugar. Place on a baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes or until light golden. Reduce oven to 180°C and cook for 30 minutes or until golden. Rest for 30 minutes. Serve with cream.

RHUBARB, STRAWBERRY, BALSAMIC & THYME PIE

SERVES 8

2 × 435g frozen Careme vanilla bean pastry, thawed, or other store-bought sweet shortcrust pastry rolled to a thickness of 3mm 1kg rhubarb, trimmed, cut into 5cm pieces 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped 1 cup (220g) caster sugar 3 thyme sprigs 2 tsp cornflour 500g strawberries, hulled, halved 2 tbs balsamic vinegar 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 tbs demerara sugar, to sprinkle

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 20cm pie dish with one of the pastry sheets, leaving a 1cm overhang. Line the pastry case with baking paper, fill with baking beads (or uncooked rice or dried beans) and bake for 15 minutes or until pastry is just dry and light golden. Remove paper and baking beads and leave to cool. Cut the remaining pastry sheet into eight 4cm strips. Chill strips while you make the filling.

Cook the rhubarb, vanilla, caster sugar and thyme sprigs with 1/4 cup (60ml) water in a large deep frypan over medium heat.

“THE PIE PROJECT IS ALL ABOUT EXPERIMENTATION, APPRECIATION AND ENJOYMENT – WE WANT PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE THE WONDERFUL ANTICIPATION AND JOY OF BAKING. THIS BOOK ISN’T ABOUT FINE-DINING DESSERTS, THESE ARE JUST GOOD RECIPES FOR THE HOME COOK. WE HOPE THAT EVERY PIE YOU MAKE TELLS A NEW STORY, AND YOU MAKE IT YOUR OWN PERSONAL PIE PROJECT.”

Carefully stir until sugar starts to dissolve, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 8 minutes or until the rhubarb is almost tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rhubarb to a colander set over a bowl and discard the thyme sprigs. Leave to drain very well.

Combine rhubarb syrup with cornflour and return to the pan set over medium heat. Boil for 10 minutes or until thick and syrupy. Set aside to cool completely.

Carefully fold rhubarb through syrup followed by the strawberries and balsamic vinegar. Spread cooled filling into pastry.

Make a tight lattice top with the chilled strips and place it over the filling. Trim any excess, pinching the edges to seal. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Place on a baking tray and bake for 55 minutes or until golden. Rest for 30 minutes before serving.

NUTELLA PIE

SERVES 12

400g Nutella 3 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks 400ml pure (thin) cream 1 tbs plain flour 30g roasted hazelnuts, some left whole

and some roughly crushed, to serve

PASTRY

11/ 3 cups (200g) plain flour 1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar 1/4 tsp fine sea salt 125g cold unsalted butter,

cut into 2cm pieces 2 tsp apple cider vinegar mixed with 1/3 cup (80ml) cold water and 4 ice cubes

For the pastry, combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add butter pieces and toss to coat. Turn out onto a clean work surface and, using a pastry cutter (or flat-bladed knife), roughly cut the butter into the flour mixture (leave some large chunks of butter as this will help the pastry to become nice and flaky as it cooks).

Create a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add vinegar water in 3 batches, working it in with your hands to form a rough dough (you may not need all of the water). Discard ice cubes. Shape into a rough disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 3 hours.

Roll out pastry on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 3mm. Use pastry to line the base and side of a 22cm pie dish leaving 3cm overhang. Using your thumb and index finger, pinch the overhang to form a fluted edge. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line pastry case with baking paper and fill with baking beads (or uncooked rice or dried beans). Bake for 25 minutes or until pastry is a light golden colour. Remove paper and baking beads, and bake for a further 5 minutes or until base is just dry. Remove from oven and leave to cool. Reduce oven to 140°C.

For the filling, whisk the Nutella, eggs and egg yolks, and the cream in a bowl until smooth. Whisk flour with 1/4 cup Nutella mixture until smooth, then stir into the rest of the mixture to combine. Strain into the cooled pastry case and bake for 1 hour or until the edge is set but there is still a gentle wobble in the centre. Cool pie to room temperature, then serve topped with nuts.

ROASTED STRAWBERRY & CREAM PIE

SERVES 10

435g frozen Careme vanilla bean pastry, thawed, or other store-bought sweet shortcrust rolled to a thickness of 3mm 750g strawberries, hulled, halved if large 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped 2 tbs maple syrup 1 thyme sprig, plus extra to decorate 500g mascarpone cheese 11/ 2 cups (375ml) thickened cream

1/ 3 cup (40g) pure icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line base and side of a 22cm × 5cm-deep pie dish with pastry and trim away the excess. Line pastry case with baking paper and fill with baking beads (or uncooked rice or dried beans). Place on a baking tray. Cook for 20 minutes or until golden, then remove baking beads and paper. Cook for a further 5 minutes or until base is dry to the touch. Set aside and leave to cool completely. Keep oven on.

Toss together strawberries, vanilla pod and seeds, maple syrup and thyme on a baking tray lined with baking paper, and roast for 16 minutes or until softened and slightly syrupy. Cool to room temperature.

Whisk mascarpone, cream, icing sugar and vanilla bean paste in a bowl until thick. Spread into the cooled pie crust and top with roasted strawberries and their syrup.

HONEY & GINGER BRULEE PIE

SERVES 8

You will need a kitchen blowtorch.

370g gingernut biscuits 100g unsalted butter, melted, cooled 1/ 2 cup (175g) honey 2 tsp vanilla bean paste 600ml pure (thin) cream 1/ 2 cup (110g) chopped crystallised (candied) ginger 6 egg yolks 3 tsp cornflour

1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar

Pulse the biscuits in a food processor to crumbs. Add the butter and pulse again to combine. Press crumb mixture into the base and sides of a 24cm loose-bottomed fluted tart pan. Freeze for 1 hour.

Place honey, vanilla, cream and ginger in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to just below boiling point, stirring to combine. Set aside to infuse for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 150°C. Whisk egg yolks with cornflour in a heatproof bowl until pale. Return cream mixture to a simmer, then pour over the egg yolks and stir to combine. Transfer to a clean saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 6 minutes or until thickened. Strain through a fine sieve into a clean bowl, pressing down to extract as much flavour from ginger as possible.

Pour into biscuit case, then bake for 30 minutes or until set at the edge but with a distinct wobble in the centre. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature, then chill for 4 hours or until completely cold.

Scatter top with sugar, then caramelise with a kitchen blowtorch before serving.

PEAR, MAPLE SYRUP & BROWN BUTTER PIES WITH CINNAMON SPELT CRUST

SERVES 12

3 hard, crisp pears (such as beurre bosc),

peeled 1 cup (250g) dark muscovado sugar 1 cup (250ml) maple syrup Double cream, to serve

SPELT PASTRY

22/ 3 cups (400g) spelt flour 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/ 2 cup (110g) caster sugar 1/ 2 tsp fine sea salt 250g cold unsalted butter, chopped 2 tbs apple cider vinegar mixed with 1/ 2 cup (125ml) cold water and 4 ice cubes

BROWN BUTTER CUSTARD

120g unsalted butter 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped 2 eggs 1/ 2 cup (110g) caster sugar 1/ 3 cup (50g) plain flour

For the spelt pastry, combine the flour, cinnamon, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the butter pieces and toss to coat. Turn out onto a clean work surface and, using a pastry cutter (or flat-bladed knife), roughly cut the butter into the flour. Make a well in the centre and gradually add the vinegar water in 3 batches, mixing together with your hands, until a coarse dough forms. Divide in half, shape into discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 3 hours.

Working with one piece of pastry at a time, roll out each piece on a lightly floured work surface to 32cm × 17cm. Use to line two 23cm × 10cm x 3cm-deep pie dishes. Trim the edges to neaten, but allow some excess to overhang the sides. Chill for 1 hour.

For the pear filling, place the pears, muscovado sugar, maple syrup and 1.25L (5 cups) water in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cover with a cartouche (a circle of baking paper) and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook gently for 1 hour or until the syrup is dark golden and the pears are tender. Let the pears cool in the syrup, then remove the pears from the syrup and simmer 1 cup (250ml) syrup in a saucepan over high heat for 15 minutes or until thickened. Leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line the two pie dishes with baking paper and baking beads (or uncooked rice or dried beans) and blind bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are just dry. Remove the beads and paper and bake the cases for a further 5 minutes or until the bases are just dry. Leave to cool completely. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C.

For the brown butter custard, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat for 6 minutes or until it is nut brown. Add the vanilla seeds and remove from the heat. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl, then whisk the butter mixture into the egg mixture to combine. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Divide between the cooled pastry cases.

Thickly slice pears and arrange in the pastry cases, allowing the pears to rest on top of the custard. Bake for 20 minutes or until the custard is just set. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Drizzle with the thickened pear syrup and serve with thick cream.