These Deep Filled Blackcurrant Pies are the perfect marriage of sweet, tart jammy blackcurrant pie filling generously piled into crisp, golden homemade pastry. Eat them on their own – warm or cold – or elevate them into dessert status by serving with cream, custard or ice cream. These pies are sweet comfort food at their best.
350g/ 12 ½ ozBlackcurrants(fresh or frozen - thawed)
175g/ ⅞ cup/ 6ozWhite sugar
3 ½teaspoonCornflour/ cornstarch(rounded)
Pastry
400g/ 3 ¼ cups/ 14 ozPlain (all purpose) flour
Large pinch salt
4tablespoonCaster sugar(plus a little extra for dusting)
200g/ ⅞ cup/ 7 ozUnsalted butter - cold
6tablespoonIced water
1Egg - beaten
Instructions
Blackcurrant Pie Filling
Put the fruit, sugar and cornflour into a saucepan
Cook on a moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 5-10 minutes. As they cook, squish the blackcurrants a little with the back of the spoon
When the sugar has dissolved and the fruit has turned into a thick jammy consistency remove from the heat and let cool completely
Make the Pies
Put the flour, salt and sugar into a large bowl and stir briefly
Cube the butter and drop it into the bowl. Use your fingers to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
Add 4 tablespoon iced water and mix with a blunt knife. Add a little more water if the dough feels too dry
Use your hands to bring the mixture together and knead briefly and gently until the dough is smooth
Flatten the pastry, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge
Preheat the oven to 175C/ 325F/ GM3
Roll the pastry out on a floured worktop to a thickness of 2-3mm
Cut out 12 large circles to line your muffin tin holes (see notes for details) and 12 smaller circles big enough to cover the tops. Re-roll the pastry if necessary
Gently push the larger circles into the wells of the muffin tin and spoon the cooled blackcurrant pie filling into each pie - around ⅔ - ¾ full
Use a little beaten egg to wet the rim of the remaining circles and press these onto the pies to form the lid. Ensure there are no gaps between the two layers of pastry
Use a knife to cut a small pattern into the rim of each pie and cut a little slit in the circle to allow air to escape
Brush the top of each pie with beaten egg and sprinkle a little caster sugar over the top
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown
Allow to cool in the tin before removing. Any pies that are stuck in the holes can be loosened with a slim knife
Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze
Notes
To ensure a perfect fit, I used a piece of string to measure from one side of the pie/ muffin cavity, down into the hole and back out to the top of the other side. I then measured this length against a ruler. My muffin tins required circles of 11cm diameter. That was larger than any pie cutter I had, so I improvised with a kitchen bowl and cut around it.These pies have a homemade appearance. A little leakage of the filling will happen on some of the pies, but I like that. It shows they are handmade.