MINI BLUEBERRY PIES
Ingredients
- 375g/13oz plain flour
- plus extra for dusting
- pinch salt
- 175g/6oz butter
- cubed
- 75-110ml/3-4fl oz cold water
- 400g/14oz blueberries
- 50g/2oz caster sugar
- 2 vanilla pods
- split
- seeds scraped out
- 2 free-range egg yolks
- beaten
- 200g/7oz clotted cream
- 4 free-range egg yolks
- 40g/1½oz caster sugar
- 150ml/5floz milk
- 150ml/5floz double cream
- 150g/5oz blueberries
- 50g/2oz caster sugar
- 2 tbsp water
Directions
- For the pie
- place the flour
- salt and butter into a bowl and rub together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the water a little at a time
- until the mixture comes together as a dough. Knead lightly
- shape into a thick disc
- wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
- Dust the work surface with a little flour then roll the pastry out to a 5mm/¼in thickness. Cut out four 15cm/6in and four 10cm/4½in circles from the pastry.
- Line each of four dariole moulds with the larger circles of pastry.
- Mix the blueberries
- sugar and vanilla seeds together in a bowl until well combined. Divide the mixture among the dariole moulds
- pressing down firmly.
- Brush the edge of the pastry with the beaten egg yolk then cover each mould with a 10cm/4in pastry circle. Press down the edges firmly and trim any excess. Crimp the edges and brush with the remaining egg yolk.
- Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes
- or until the pastry is cooked through and golden-brown.
- Remove the pies from the oven and set aside to cool for five minutes.
- For the custard
- whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until well combined.
- Bring the milk and cream to the boil in a saucepan. Slowly whisk the cream mixture into the eggs until well combined. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat slowly
- stirring continuously
- until the custard has thickened enough to coat the back of the spoon.
- For the compote
- heat a frying pan until hot
- add the blueberries
- sugar and water and cook for 2-3 minutes
- or until syrupy.
- To serve
- spoon the custard in a pool in the centre of the plate then turn the pie out on top. Drizzle the compote around the plate and finish with a quenelle of clotted cream.

