Tuesday, October 7, 2014

chicken and sweet corn pocket pies with cream cheese pastry dough

Today I made pies because I have finally found a pastry dough recipe that is idiot-proof which one can make in 5 minutes.

I am in heaven!

No more paying $$$ for store-bought dough!
Anyway, I really like the idea of chicken and corn. Chicken breast is lean and I like pairing it with sweet corn, which gives the pie great flavor. It also helps that my kids love sweet corn and I can get them to happily eat the pies.

Things a mom has to do to get some nutrients into the little ones!

Pies are great because they are easy to eat, generally mess-free and they can be made in advance and heated up as and when one is hungry. Needless to say, home made pies are the best because you can control what goes into (or not!) the pies. They are great for hiding bits of vegetables!
Anyway, I am not going to go on about my pies because I wrote a rather lengthy introduction for the cream cheese pastry dough because I was so excited about it.

So here are the pictorial step-by-step instructions on how to make these lovely pies.

Start by sauteing diced onions in olive oil (or butter, or a combination of both) over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. This should take about 3-4 minutes.
Turn the high to medium high. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the flour and stir until all the flour has been incorporated.
Add the stock and continue stirring. You should get a thick mixture.
Add the corn and stir to mix. If the mixture is too thick, add more stock or water to thin it slightly.
Lower the heat and season with salt, pepper and dried (or fresh) thyme.
Add the chicken and Parmesan.
Stir to combine. Cool the mixture before use.
To make the pies, roll out the dough. Use a pastry cutter (or any round instrument you have) to cut the pastry. Here, I used a 4.5 inch round cutter.
Place a tablespoon of filling on one side of the dough. (Use less filling if your rounds are smaller.)
Fold and pinch gently to seal.
Crimp the edge of the dough with a fork.
Place the pies on a lined baking tray. Brush egg wash over each pie.
Bake at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Allow to cool slightly on the baking tray before transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Hand-held deliciousness!
Quick! Go make these NOW!!

A Joint Giveaway with MummyMoo! 

I am giving away one set of Simply Calphalon Nonstick 6-Piece Bakeware Set (perfect for a beginner baker since these are all the pans you will need to start baking!), consisting of 
2 8-Inch round cake pans 
10-by-15-inch cookie sheet
9-by-13-inch cake pan 
12-cup muffin pan 
4-1/2-by-8-1/2-by-2-1/2-inch medium loaf pan

Made from heavy-gauge carbon steel for even heating with no hot spots
Durable nonstick coating and reinforced rolled edges prevent warping
Oven-safe up to 450°F (230°C) and dishwasher-safe
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RECIPE
Chicken and Sweet Corn Pocket Pies (Makes 10 pocket pies)
Loosely adapted from Mad Hungry

Note: The recipe for Cream Cheese Pastry Dough can be found here.

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast (2 halves), skin removed and poached until cooked through, shredded
2 cups corn - I used frozen corn
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup stock - I used mushroom stock
1 cup Parmesan, shredded
20g butter or olive oil - I used olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 portion Cream Cheese Pastry dough (Recipe: here.)

Method:
1. Start by sauteing diced onions in olive oil (or butter, or a combination of both) over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. This should take about 3-4 minutes.
2. Turn the high to medium high. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add the flour and stir until all the flour has been incorporated.
4. Add the stock and continue stirring. You should get a thick mixture.
5. Add the corn and stir to mix. If the mixture is too thick, add more stock or water to thin it slightly.
6. Lower the heat and season with salt, pepper and dried (or fresh) thyme.
7. Add the chicken and Parmesan.
8. Stir to combine. Cool the mixture before use.
9. To make the pies, roll out the dough. Use a pastry cutter (or any round instrument you have) to cut the pastry. Here, I used a 4.5 inch round cutter.
10. Place a tablespoon of filling on one side of the dough. (Use less filling if your rounds are smaller.)
11. Fold and pinch gently to seal. Crimp the edge of the dough with a fork.
12. Place the pies on a lined baking tray. Brush egg wash over each pie.
13. Bake at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
14. Allow to cool slightly on the baking tray before transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely.

3 comments:

  1. Diana, I must try the cream cheese pastry dough. I must! I must! Because I want to eat your delicious chicken pie!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Diana,
    I am as excited as you.
    I love your pie, from the pastry to the filling.
    I must try to bake this soon.
    Yum!!
    mui

    ReplyDelete