Hauntingly Tasty: Homemade Halloween Pies Recipe to Impress Your Guests

Photo bydaily easy recipes

As Halloween creeps closer, the air fills with excitement, spooky costumes, and sweet treats. But beyond the candy, there's room for a savory dish that will leave your guests both delighted and spooked. Enter Halloween pies: a perfect combination of hearty sausage, savory stuffing, and a sweet touch of chutney, all encased in a flaky pastry crust. Not only do they look the part with their ghostly and pumpkin-shaped pastry lids, but they also pack a punch of flavor that's sure to stand out at any Halloween gathering.

These pies offer a fun, creative way to celebrate the spooky season while still providing a filling dish that's perfect for a festive party spread or a cozy fall meal. The recipe might look intricate, but it's simple enough to follow, ensuring even novice bakers can create these treats. Plus, the flexibility to customize the pastry decorations makes it a hit with kids and adults alike.

Recipe: Halloween Pies Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 200g lard or unsalted butter, diced
• 750g plain flour
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tsp salt
• Oil for greasing

For the filling:

• 50g dried sage and onion stuffing mix
• 6 sausages
• 180g chili chutney

Method

1. Squeeze the sausage meat from the skins and set it aside in the fridge. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin and line each hole with a strip of nonstick baking paper.
2. To make the pastry, bring the lard or butter and 250ml of water to the boil in a small pan. Add the flour and salt to a food processor. While the processor is running, pour the melted lard mixture down the chute, blending until you have a smooth dough. Set aside two-thirds of the dough and keep the remaining third warm by covering it with a tea towel.
3. If preparing the pastry by hand, combine the flour and salt in a bowl and stir in the melted lard mix, beating vigorously until the dough starts pulling away from the sides.
4. On a floured surface, roll out the larger piece of dough to about 5mm thick. Using a pastry cutter, cut out 12 circles around 11cm in diameter. Re-roll any scraps. Line each muffin hole with a pastry circle, pressing them in with your fingers and leaving an overhang.
5. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 (180°C, fan 160°C) and place a baking tray inside to heat.
6. Divide the stuffing mix evenly among the pastry cases, followed by the sausage meat, gently pressing it down. Add 1 teaspoon of chili chutney on top, being careful not to overfill.
7. Roll out the remaining dough and cut out 12 smaller circles, about 8cm wide. Use a sharp knife to carve out spooky pumpkin or ghost faces on each top, or use cookie cutters for a fun design. Brush the edges of the filled pies with beaten egg, then top with the decorated pastry lids. Seal the edges by pinching with your fingers or pressing down with a fork.
8. Brush the tops of the pies with beaten egg, then bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the pies from the muffin tin, brush the tops and sides again with egg, and place them directly on the hot baking tray.
9. Turn the oven up to gas mark 6 (200°C, fan 180°C) and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the pies are golden brown and crispy.
10. Allow the pies to cool on a wire rack before serving.

These Halloween pies are not only festive, but they offer a delightful blend of savory flavors. The rich sausage meat contrasts with the slight heat of the chili chutney, while the pastry provides the perfect buttery, flaky crunch. Serve them as a snack at a party or a centerpiece dish for a Halloween dinner. Either way, they are sure to impress both visually and with their mouthwatering taste.

For your Halloween pies recipe, which combines savory sausage, sage and onion stuffing, and a hint of spicy-sweet chili chutney, you can find several excellent sources to guide you. The base of the recipe, including tips for making the pastry and filling, can be found at Tesco Real Food, which provides detailed steps for preparing these delicious spooky pies​(Tesco Real Food)​(Tesco Real Food). Another great source, Lavender and Lovage, includes similar instructions for creating savory pies with a sage and onion stuffing​(Lavender and Lovage). Lastly, Lidl Recipes offers a variation with sage and onion sausage pies that also incorporate chili chutney, perfect for adding that extra Halloween flair​(Lidl Recipes).