August Tea Time Treats: Picnic Pies and here's one I made earlier!

Following a resplendent round-up of Cake Stall Bakes for a jubilant July Tea Time Treats table hosted by the marvellous Karen from Lavender and Lovage, this month's theme is:

PICNIC PIES!

Sweet or savoury, small or family-sized, all pies, tarts and flans are most welcome... even if your picnic is more of a knees-up on the sofa infront of the Olympics while the rain falls outside.

Email your bakes to  teatimetreatschallenge@yahoo.co.uk  for a round-up of all your perfect pies on 28th August.

And to kick start proceedings, in true Blue Peter stylee, here's one I made earlier!

A light, summary Tea Time Treats Chicken and Leek Pie

500ml chicken stock

2 finely chopped garlic cloves

3 thyme sprigs

200g carrots, sliced

200g leeks, sliced

Handful of button mushrooms, sliced

4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water

4 tbsps creme fraiche

1 tbsp parsley

Short crust or filo pastry to cover

1. Pop the garlic, thyme, carrots into a large wide frying pan and add the stock. Bring to the boil then simmer for a few minutes

2. Lay the chicken in the stock, grind over the pepper and simmer for five minutes

3. Scatter the leeks and mushrooms over the chicken, cover and simmer for ten more minutes

4. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for fifteen minutes or so

5. Strain the stock into a jug. Tip the chicken and veg into your pie dish (approximately 1.5 litres) and discard the sprigs of herbs. Pour the stock back into the frying pan and heat gently, slowly adding the cornflour mix, stirring throughout until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the creme fraiche and parsley. Season

6. Heat the oven: 200C/180Cfan/Gas Mark 6

7. Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables and stir together

8. Place the pastry, cut to the size of the pastry dish, over the filling, tucking in the sides. I used spare pastry to spell out Tea Time Treats. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is golden and sauce bubbling

Baker's notes...

• I used shortcrust pastry but the original recipe, from BBC Good Food Magazine uses four layers of filo pastry brushed with rape seed oil for a healthy twist
• Using spare pastry to spell out TTT. 'PIE' or 'YUM' might also work!

Happy Baking!