Cheddar and broccoli pastry Autumn lunch bites

Given that I have a little more time this week, I was seeking out another lunch to make (now that I've eaten the scones - yum). I read some other food blogs and one I particularly like is called www.halfbakedharvest.com This blog is often full of amazing looking food with great photography and so I found this delicious looking recipe for 'extra flakey broccoli cheddar soup mini pies' and delicious they are. they do take a while to make for lunch but they are worth it.

Ingredients:
2 tbsps olive oil
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 garlic clove grated
1/4 cup of flour (as it is an American blog, the measurements are in cups)
1 can coconut milk
1-2 cups diced mushrooms
1-2 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
2-3 cups grated cheddar
2 boxes of ready made puff pastry
1 egg beaten (for the pastry)

I actually halved this recipe and it made 8 mini pies.

Method:
1. heat the oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat. add the garlic and onion and cook for 5minutes until tender. Whisk in the flour and cook for 3minutes more (it should clump here). Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth.
2. Add in one cup of stock, the broccoli, mushrooms, cayenne, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15minutes. then puree in a blender and return to the pan.
3. Whisk in the cheese until it has melted and simmer for 10 minutes until thick. Take off the heat and put the mix into a bowl in the fridge to cool and set for 30minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 190C and lay out the pastry and cut out rounds using a cookie cutter (use the biggest one). Brush egg wash around the edge of half of each circle.

5. Spoon the mixture into the middle of the pastry (1 tablespoon in each) and fold in half (it oozed when I did this but that is fine). Use a fork to seal the edges by pressing down. Put the pies on baking parchment, brush with egg wash and cut in air holes on each pasty, then sprinkle more cheese on top. bake for 20-25minutes.

These are delicious warm and still great the next day after a minute in the microwave. Thank you #halfbakedharvest ! A lovely warn lunch for the turning weather.

I'm very excited today as T and I are going to Brussels this evening! He so kindly bot the trip for my 30th. Naturally the first thing I sought out was the food...Belgium chocolate, waffles, moules frites... until the next post with all things Belgian..