Ingredients:

12 oz / 340 g shortcrust pastry or make your own with these ingredients (pastry)

16 oz or 550 g plain flour (pastry)

10 oz or 300 g cold butter, cut into small cubes (pastry)

1 teaspoon salt (pastry)

2 large egg, beaten (pastry)

4 tbsp cold water (pastry)

1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey meat (filling)

1/2 can condense cream of chicken soup (filling)

1 cup mixed vegetables (filling)

1 beaten egg for the egg wash at the end (filling)

Directions:

1. Make the pastry as follows: (If using readymade pastry, skip to step 8). Mix sieved flour, and salt in a large bowl. Add cubes of butter.

2. Rub in fat using the tips of your fingers until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Aerate the flour by lifting (with your fingertips) the mixture above the bowl and allowing to fall back through the fingers.

3. Once the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, make a well in the middle and start by adding the beaten egg and 1 tablespoon of cold water.

4. Using a metal round-bladed knife, stir the mixture and combine well before adding a further tablespoon of water.

5. Once the mixture starts to go lumpy, use your hand to combine the mixture. Try not to handle the dough too much as it will lose its lightness and crumbliness once cooked.

6. Keep combining with your hand, adding a tiny bit of water as you go if necessary.

7. The ultimate goal is to have the mixture come together into a ball, your bowl should be completely cleaned from pastry, (i.e. it is not sticky and gluey), and the dough should be dry enough it doesn’t stick to your hands, and quite stiff. Every brand of flour is different and absorbs liquid at different amounts, so it is difficult to be precise with how much water you will need so add a little at a time.

8. Once your dough is ready you can place in the fridge for 20 minutes to chill

9. First make the pastry if making your own, divide into 2 balls and wrap with plastic wrap and leave to rest in the fridge whilst you prepare the filling.

10. Then prepare the filling as follows. Put chopped chicken or turkey, mixed veg and cream of chicken soup in a bowl and mix well. Add a pinch of pepper. Set aside.

11. Preheat oven to 350 F or 180 C and grease a 12 hole muffin tray. Roll out one ball of pastry and cut rounds to fit the muffin tray.

12. Fill the pastry cases with the chicken mixture. Using the remaining pastry, to roll out and make tops for the pot pies

13. Brush the top with the beaten egg and bake till bubbling or golden brown about 35-45 mins. Cool completely before removing the pies from the tin.

Bon Appetit!