Melt in the mouth pastry, filled with tender chicken, ham and mushrooms. I cannot think of a better way to win over a loved one!
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For the pastry
225g plain flour
salt and ground black pepper
175g butter or equal amounts of butter and lard
For the filling
25g butter
75g chopped button mushrooms
100g cooked chicken, diced
100g cooked ham, diced
1 egg
First make the pastry. Sift the flour, salt and pepper into a large bowl, then using a coarse grater, grate the cold butter over the bowl, dipping the butter into the flour to make it easier to grate. When you have grated all the butter, squishing everything together add enough water to make a soft dough. Wrap and chill for 30min.
Meanwhile for the filling, heat the butter in a small pan, add the mushrooms and cook for 10min or until soft but not coloured. Spoon the mushrooms into a bowl, leave to cool then stir in the chicken and ham, season well.
Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured work surface.
Stamp out 10-12 x 12cm hearts or circles with a cutter or using a small plate to cut around. Place a spoonful of the chicken mixture in the centre of 5-6 pastry circles. Brush the edge of the pastry with beaten egg and then place another pastry circle on top. Pinch the edges together and make a small cut in the top of each pie to allow the steam to escape. Brush the pies with beaten egg and place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Cook at 200°C for 20min or until puffed up and golden.
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