RHUBARB PIES

These little pies can be enjoyed any time of the day. I served them warm with some vanilla icecream and they went down a treat!

Makes 20-24 (approx.)

Ingredients

500g ready-made flaky pastry

Rhubarb filling 450 g rhubarb stalks, trimmed and cut into 1cm segments 65 g sugar

Cream cheese filling 115g cream cheese, at room temperature 1/3 cup sugar 1 tsp orange zest 2 tsp orange juice 1 large egg yolk

To assemble 1 large egg and 1 Tbsp water 1 Tbsp raw sugar

Method

To make the rhubarb filling; Place rhubarb and sugar in a small-to-medium saucepan and stir to combine. Cover and cook at moderate heat for 15 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, remove the lid and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, until rhubarb has softened and melted down and ideally thick enough that if you run a spoon across the bottom of the pot it will stay separated. Put the mixture in a shallow bowl and chill immediatley. Set aside.

Whilst the rhubarb is cooking roll the pastry out into a square so it is about 3mm thick all over. Cut the pastry into 5-6cm squared shape or use equivalent sized cookie-cutter. Cut them out and re-roll scraps of dough and continue cutting until you have an even amount as you need two squares per pie. Place onto a tray with baking paper between in the fridge until required.

To make the cream cheese filling; beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, zest, juice and yolk together in a small bowl until smooth and lump free. Keep cold until required.

Assembling pies; Heat oven to 190C.

Brush half the pies very lightly with the egg wash as these will be your bases and cut a small hole/vent in the remaining squares as these will be the lid. Place a teaspoon of the cream cheese filling in the centre of the bottom squares, then the same of the rhubarb filling on top. Place the lid on top and squeeze the edges together firmly but neatly.

Transfer the pies to your baking tray spacing between each. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle generously with the raw sugar.

Repeat until all are completed.

Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden and puffy.

Remove from oven and cool before eating.