MINI PASTRY RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat a frying pan until very hot. Rub the steaks all over with olive oil and season well. Sear for a minute on each side, then remove from the pan and leave to cool completely.
• Cook the shallot in a knob of butter until soft, add the mushrooms and thyme, then season and cook, stirring occasionally. The mushrooms will give out a bit of water, so keep cooking them until there is no moisture left in the pan. Leave to cool.
• Roll out the pastry to 20p-thickness. Cut out 4 circles that are 2½cm larger than the fillets, and 4 more circles that are 3½cm larger. Sit the smaller circles on a baking sheet.
• Sit the fillets on 2 overlapping pieces of ham and top each fillet with some of the mushroom mix.
• Wrap each of the fillets up in the slices of ham.
• Sit each fillet on the smaller pastry circles, then brush the edges with egg.
• Drape over the larger circles and press to seal, making sure there are no air pockets.
• Mark the edges with the back of a fork and glaze the outside with egg.
• Score the top of the wellingtons. Chill for 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Bake the wellingtons for 12 minutes for medium rare, 15 minutes for medium.

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat all filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Place filling in 1-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag; refrigerate while making cups.
• Heat oven to 425°F. On lightly floured work surface, unroll pie crusts. Sprinkle each crust with turbinado sugar and cinnamon. Lightly roll rolling pin over sugar and cinnamon to press into pastry. With 2 1/2- to 3-inch round cutter, cut out pastry rounds. Lightly press each pastry round into ungreased mini muffin cup.
• Bake about 10 minutes or until pastry cups are golden brown. Cool completely in pans, about 15 minutes. Remove from muffin cups to cooling racks.
• Just before serving, remove filling from refrigerator. Cut 1 bottom corner off bag; pipe scant tablespoon filling into cooled pastry cups. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and powdered sugar. Serve immediately. Store any remaining pastry cups at room temperature and filling in refrigerator.