My friend Margaret introduced me to Cheese and Onion Pies. She is from Hull and this is a northern speciality. She can remember her mother making Cheese and Onion Pies when she was a child during the 1940s.

I usually make a large pie to cut into slices but wanted to make somethong that would be ideal for picnics, so thought individual Mini Cheese and Onion Pies would be perfect. So instead of using a pie plate I used muffin tins. I had to make a bit more pastry than I would normally make for a large pie but only the same amount of filling.

Ingredients you need to make Mini Cheese and Onion Pies

Filling

• 1 ½ pounds / 675 grams / 3 cups onions
• 3 ounces / 85 grams / ⅓ cup butter
• 8 fluid ounces / 240 ml / 1 cup water
• Salt and pepper
• Approx. 9 ounces / 250 grams / 1 ⅛ cups Lancashire cheese (I used a 250 gram packet)

Pastry

• 6 ounces / 170 grams / ¾ cup wholemeal flour
• 6 ounces / 170 grams / ¾ cup plain white flour
• 3 ounces / 85 grams / ⅓ cup butter
• 3 ounces / 85 grams / ⅓ cup lard ((substitute with a vegetable shortening if you want these pies to be vegetarian)
• 3-4 tablespoons cold water
• Beaten egg to glaze

Directions

1. Peel and slice the onions in half. Then slice thinly into half moon shapes.
2. Melt the butter in a large shallow pan and add the sliced onions.
3. Sauté over a medium heat until the onions are starting to soften but not colour.
4. Add the water and season with salt and pepper and simmer over a medium heat until the onions are soft and the water has evaporated. Keep an eye on them and stir occasionally as you do not want them to brown.
5. Remove from pan spreading them out on a plate to cool.
6. While the onions are cooking make the pastry.
7. Mix the two flours together and add the butter and lard, cut into small pieces.
8. Rub the fats into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
9. Stir in water using a flat bladed knife until the mixture starts clumping together.
10. Use your hands to gather the pastry into a ball.
11. Allow the pastry to rest in a cool place or in the fridge until the onions are cold.
12. Grate the cheese.
13. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin liberally with butter.
14. Roll out about three quarters of the pastry to approximately the thickness of a pound coin (around 3 millimetres)
15. Cut out 12 rounds using a 4 inch / 10 cm cutter.
16. Gather together any scraps of pastry and add them to the remaining quarter of pastry. Roll out again to the thickness of a pound coin (3 mm) and cut out 12 more rounds this time using a 3 inch / 7.5 cm cutter. You should have a few scraps of pastry left.
17. Press the 4 inch rounds into the muffin cups. The pastry may tear and you may have to patch it. Make sure the muffin cups are fully lined without cracks or holes and that the pastry reaches the top edges evenly.
18. Now spoon in a layer of onion using about half the cooked onion.
19. Top with a layer of grated cheese again using about half the cheese.
20. Repeat the two layers.
21. Brush the bottom of the smaller 3 inch / 7.5 cm pastry rounds with beaten egg and put on the top of each pie, pressing gently around the edges to seal.
22. Brush the top of the pies with the beaten egg to glaze and use a sharp knife to pierce the pies to allow steam to escape.
23. Bake the pies in a pre-heated oven to 210°C / 190°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6 for approximately 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
24. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool until they are cool enough to handle. Carefully remove from the tin and finish cooling on a wire rack.

I like to use a wholemeal pastry for savoury pies but you could of course use all plain white flour if you prefer. Do try to get some Lancashire Cheese if possible as this mellow and creamy cheese makes the best cheese and onion pie, but if not you could substitute a mild cheddar.

Mini Cheese and Onion Pies

Recipe by Scones Plus More

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: LunchCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Moderate

Servings

Adjust servings

+

–

12

servings

Prep time

1

hour 

Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

• Filling

• 1 ½ pounds / 675 grams / 3 cups onions

• 3 ounces / 85 grams / ⅓ cup butter

• 8 fluid ounces / 240 ml / 1 cup water

• Salt and pepper

• Approx. 9 ounces / 250 grams / 1 ⅛ cups Lancashire cheese (I used a 250 gram packet)

• Pastry

• 6 ounces / 170 grams / ¾ cup wholemeal flour

• 6 ounces / 170 grams / ¾ cup plain white flour

• 3 ounces / 85 grams / ⅓ cup butter

• 3 ounces / 85 grams / ⅓ cup lard (substitute with a vegetable shortening if you want these pies to be vegetarian)

• 3-4 tablespoons cold water

• Beaten egg to glaze

Directions

• Peel and slice the onions in half. Then slice thinly into half moon shapes.
• Melt the butter in a large shallow pan and add the sliced onions.
• Sauté over a medium heat until the onions are starting to soften but not colour.
• Add the water and season with salt and pepper and simmer over a medium heat until the onions are soft and the water has evaporated. Keep an eye on them and stir occasionally as you do not want them to brown.
• Remove from pan spreading them out on a plate to cool.
• While the onions are cooking make the pastry.
• Mix the two flours together and add the butter and lard, cut into small pieces.
• Rub the fats into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
• Stir in water using a flat bladed knife until the mixture starts clumping together.
• Use your hands to gather the pastry into a ball.
• Allow the pastry to rest in a cool place or in the fridge until the onions are cold.
• Grate the cheese.
• Grease a 12 cup muffin tin liberally with butter.
• Roll out about three quarters of the pastry to approximately the thickness of a pound coin (around 3 millimetres)
• Cut out 12 rounds using a 4 inch / 10 cm cutter.
• Gather together any scraps of pastry and add them to the remaining quarter of pastry. Roll out again to the thickness of a pound coin (3 mm) and cut out 12 more rounds this time using a 3 inch / 7.5 cm cutter. You should have a few scraps of pastry left.
• Press the 4 inch rounds into the muffin cups. The pastry may tear and you may have to patch it. Make sure the muffin cups are fully lined without cracks or holes and that the pastry reaches the top edges evenly.
• Now spoon in a layer of onion using about half the cooked onion.
• Top with a layer of grated cheese again using about half the cheese.
• Repeat the two layers.
• Brush the bottom of the smaller 3 inch / 7.5 cm pastry rounds with beaten egg and put on the top of each pie, pressing gently around the edges to seal.
• Brush the top of the pies with the beaten egg to glaze and use a sharp knife to pierce the pies to allow steam to escape.
• Bake the pies in a pre-heated oven to 210°C / 190°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6 for approximately 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool until they are cool enough to handle. Carefully remove from the tin and finish cooling on a wire rack.

Large Cheese and Onion Pie option

If you wish to make a large pie you will need a 10 inch / 25 cm enamel pie plate. You will only need pastry made with 8 ounces of flour and 4 ounces of fat but you will need the same amount of filling.

Pre-heat your oven with a baking tray inside and place your pie on the hot baking tray to cook as this will help to cook the pastry on the bottom. Cook for approximately 45 minutes.

Serving and Storing Mini Cheese and Onion Pies

The pies are best served warm or at room temperature. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days but do re-heat before serving. Leftovers can also be frozen but must be defrosted before re-heating to serve.

Until next time happy baking!

Tanya