SWEET BERRY PIE JARS

by Holly McMahon of Old Forest School (oldforestschool.co.nz)

2 cups fresh or frozen berries 1 tbsp sugar 3 tbsp cornflour ¼ tsp vanilla essence 200g sweet short pastry 4 Mason jars (250-400ml capacity) 1 Preheat the oven to 180ºC. 2 Mix the berries, sugar, cornflour and vanilla essence together in a saucepan. Place on the stovetop over a medium heat until the berries soften and the mixture thickens to a jam-like consistency.

3 Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.

4 Roll the pastry out to approximately half a centimetre thick. Place a jar on the pastry and cut around the base to make small circles of pastry.

5 Place a pastry circle in the bottom of each jar to create a pie base.

6 Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter or a knife to create a small pastry heart for each jar. Place the hearts on a tray lined with baking paper.

7 Pour the cooled berry mixture into each jar to about three-quarters full, then place the jars on the tray.

8 Put the jars and pastry hearts into the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the hearts turn golden and the berry mixture begins to bubble.

9 Remove from oven, leave to cool for a minute, then place a heart on top of the berry mixture in each jar.

10 Serve hot or cold with a dusting of icing sugar or a dollop of whipped cream.

GOOD TASTE Devise a menu that ties in with your chosen era. Foodies might start with their favourite classic dishes and develop their wedding theme from there. For a warm-weather event, an ice cream cart is ideal for dessert. Stock it with toppings...