Delicious mini mushroom pies encased in wholemeal hot water crust pastry. The recipe is a vegan twist on a classic favourite. The pastry is crisp on the outside deliciously saturated with mushroom gravy on the inside. Perfect comfort food for pie lovers and sturdy enough to take on picnics and potlucks.
In a small bowl, cover the mushrooms with just boiled water. Leave them to soak whilst you get on with the rest.
10 g dried mushrooms
Pour the olive oil into a large wide pan and place it over a moderate heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and fry for ten minutes, giving an occasional stir.
Turn the heat up a little, then cook the mushrooms for five to seven minutes or until they're starting to brown and any liquid they've produced has evaporated. Give an occasional stir to ensure they cook evenly and don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
Meanwhile, drain the dried mushrooms reserving all but the dregs of the liquid. Chop the mushrooms finely.
Stir the arrowroot into 50 ml of the mushroom liquid, then add it to the pan, along with the chopped mushrooms, tamari and ale. Give everything a really good stir, turn down the heat a little then allow the mushrooms to bubble away until the liquid is reduced and saucy.
2 tsp arrowroot, 2 tsp tamari (affiliate link), 100 ml ale
Turn the heat off, add the pepper and taste for seasoning. If you feel it needs it, add a little more salt or soy sauce, then stir in the parsley.
good grinding of black pepper, 1 bunch fresh parsley
Leave the filling to cool whilst you make the pastry.
Hot Water Crust Pastry
Place the flours into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Make a well in the centre.
220 g wholemeal flour, 80 g strong wholemeal flour
Pour the water into a small saucepan, add the coconut oil and salt. Place it over a moderate heat and wait for the oil to melt. As soon as it's melted, bring to the boil, then pour it into the flour well.
140 ml water, 65 g odourless coconut oil, ½ tsp sea salt
Stir with a flat bladed knife until the water is thoroughly combined with the flour.
Bring the dough together with your hands into a ball and knead briefly. Do be careful not to burn your hands, it should be nice and warm but no longer hot.
Roll the dough out to 4mm in thickness. Don't flour your board or rolling pin as the dough is quite oily and shouldn't stick.
Stamp out six 9 cm circles and 12 cm circles out with a pastry cutter. If you don't have one the right size use a saucer or other round object and cut round it with a knife. Reroll the pastry, as necessary.
Assembly
Set the oven to 190℃ (170℃ fan, 375℉, Gas 5).
Line six lightly greased muffin holes with the larger pastry circles. Ideally you want a bit of an overhang so you can attach the tops later.
Spoon the cooled mushrooms into the pastry cases, filling them right to the top.
Place the smaller pastry circles over the top, then crimp the two bits of pastry together to form a tight (and preferably decorative) seal.
Use any leftover bits of pastry to decorate the tops, if liked. Poke a skewer through the middle of each lid to create a hole for steam to escape.
Mix the glaze ingredients together and brush the lids (and any decorations) with it.
2 tsp plant milk of choice, ¼ tsp soy sauce, ¼ tsp maple syrup*
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the tops are nicely bronzed. The darker the pastry, the firmer it will be.
Allow to cool for ten to fifteen minutes, then carefully turn the pies out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Alternatively, devour whilst still warm.
Notes
Try to work with the pastry whilst it's still warm. The warmer it is, the more pliable and easier to work with it is.I find silicon muffin trays easier to work with than tins ones. The pies comes out really easily. However, tin ones make for crispier bottoms.You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the main body of the post.Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. They do not include the optional fried eggs. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.