Quick Currant Pie Recipe

This is a quick to make currant pie that uses frozen puff pastry. If you really want to make your own, then here is a recipe for home-made puff pastry. At a pinch you could also use rough puff pastry.

And in case you were wondering I am using the old meaning of currants here, European blackcurrants and red currants used fresh or frozen. This is a very traditional kind of pie and is excellent served as a dessert, but it can just as well be served as a teatime treat.

Quick Currant Pie

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

230g (1 1/2 cups) currants (either just blackcurrants or a mix of black and red currants)
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 tbsp demerara sugar
30g butter, melted
70g (2/3 cup) ground hazelnuts
1 tsp finely-grated orange zest
1 egg, lightly beaten

Method:

Pick over the currants and place in a large mixing bowl. Heat the orange juice and pour over the currants. Set aside to soak for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Using plates as a guide, cut a 22cm (9 in) diameter round from one sheet of puff pastry and a 20cm (8 in) round from the other. Arrange the small round on a baking tray brushed with melted butter.

Drain the currants and return to the bowl. Stir in the sugar, melted butter, hazelnuts and orange zest then stir to combine. Spoon the resultant filling mixture into the centre of the small pastry round, leaving a 2cm (4/5 in) space all the way around the edge.

Pat the filling into a smooth, low, mound then brush the pastry edge with beaten egg. Cover the filling and the lower pastry round with the larger pastry round then press with a fork to seal the edge.

Using a small, sharp, knife, score the pastry lightly with curved lines that originate in the centre and radiate out to the fork marks around the edge.

Brush the top with beaten egg then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180ºC (350ºF, Gas Mark 4) and bake for about 30 minutes or until the top of the pastry is golden brown. Either serve warm with custard as a dessert or serve cold at tea time.