Cheese Pasties

Photo: flickr user Anosmia

Ingredients

3 cups Unbleached white flour

1 teaspoon Salt

1 cup Water

3 tablespoons Ice water

2 Celery stalks, diced (about 1 c)

1 small Turnip, diced

(about 3/4c)

1 Leek, washed and chopped

(about 2/3 c) OR

cup Chopped scallions

cup Diced carrots

4 cups Grated cheddar cheese (12 oz)

pn Mace

teaspoon Freshly grated black pepper

teaspoon Cayenne

Preparation

To make the crust, sift the flour with the salt. Cut the butter into the flour with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle on ice water while you stir with a fork until the dough hangs together.

Form into a ball and refrigerate for 15-30 min. Don't chill too long or you will have trouble working the dough.

In a large bowl, mix together all the filling ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Cut the ball of dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll out each piece to about 1/8" thick. Cut a 9" circle out of each pastry piece.

Place 1/6 of the filling in the middle of each pastry circle. Pack it down so that it will fit. Pull one edge over the filling to make a half-circle.

Seal the two edges together like a turnover. Turn the edges over all around and press with a fork or your fingers to double seal. Cut slits in the tops of each pastie so that steam can escape.

Bake for 15 min at 375F, then reduce the heat to 350F and bake for 15 20 min more, until lightly golden. Let the pasties rest for at least 5 min out of the oven before serving.

Make plenty. Pasties are even better when reheated the following day.