With an onion and potato filling these mini Cornish pasties, pack a surprising amount of flavour into a small package!
They're light enough to enjoy as a snack on hot summer days but filling enough to have as a main meal on cooler nights.
The crisp shortcrust pastry is made by rubbing butter and flour together and then combining with egg yolks to give a lovely dough, which you'll roll out and cut into the little discs.
For the filling, rather than using standard onions, this recipe uses a combination of pickled onions fried with cumin and a sweet onion chutney, lending tang and sweetness to every bite.
These are then combine with grated cheese, fresh parsley and boiled potatoes to produce mini Cornish pasties that really hit the spot.
The filling is wrapped up in the pastry discs, which are then brushed with egg white, sprinkled with black pepper and baked to perfection. The recipe makes 16 little pasties because I guarantee you'll all go back for more time and time again.
Here's the full recipe for my mini Cornish pasties, complete with step-by-step photographs to help you at every stage.
Ingredients
For the shortcrust pastry
- 400 g (2¾ cups) plain white flour (all purpose flour)
- 200 g (1 stick + 6 tbsp) slightly salted butter cold and cubed
- 4 tbsp water
- 2 large eggs yolk and white separated
For the filing
- 200 g (7 oz) potatoes peeled then chopped into even-sized 5cm (2 inch) pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 10 g (2 tsp) slightly salted butter
- 125 g (⅔ scant cup) silverskin pickled onions halved
- 1/2 tsp (½ tsp) cumin seeds
- 100 g (¾ cup) mature cheddar cheese (sharp cheddar) vegetarian if required, grated
- 50 g (2 tbsp + 1 tsp) onion chutney
- 5 g (2 tbsp) fresh parsley roughly chopped
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
Make the pastry
Put the flour and butter into a bowl.
Rub together quickly and efficiently until you have something resembling fine breadcrumbs. You can do this by pulsing in a food processor, if you prefer.
Add the egg yolk (reserve the white for later) and 4 tbsp of cold water.
Cut the liquid through the crumb with a cutlery knife. If it still seems really dry, add another drop or two of water, but try not to add more as a wet dough may result in a tough or soggy pastry.
Gather the pastry into a ball and knead only as long as it takes to get a smooth, even texture.
Wrap and place in the fridge to rest.
Make the filling
Put the potatoes in a pan of cold water. Boil for 10 minutes until just tender. You don’t want them too soft or they’ll break apart when added to the mix. Drain and set aside to cool.
Put the oil and butter in a pan over a medium heat.
Once the butter is melted, add the onions and cumin.
Fry for 5 minutes until soft and browning.
Put the cheese in a bowl with the chutney, parsley, fried onions and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Stir together.
Chop the potatoes into small 1/2cm (half inch) pieces and add to the bowl.
Stir through.
Overhead shot of some of the ingredients required for the mini cornish pasties in a bowl.
Make the pasties
Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Lightly flour your work surface and work with half of your pastry at a time. Roll the pastry out to about 3mm (⅛ inch).
Cut out rounds using a 10cm (4 inch) cookie cutter or upturned small bowl. In total, using all the pastry and re-rerolling where necessary, you should get 16-18 rounds in total.
Put a spoonful of filling mixture in the centre of each disc of pastry.
Bring the sides together and pinch together at the top to form a classic pastie shape.
Place the pasties on the lined baking trays.
Brush with egg white.
Sprinkle with milled black pepper.
Cook in the oven at 220C(200C/430 fan) for 18 minutes until golden.
Serve with salad, fresh green veg, pack into your lunchbox, or enjoy in whatever way takes your fancy.
Print this mini Cornish pasties recipe
Mini Cornish Pasties Recipe
Ingredients
For the shortcrust pastry
- 400 g (2¾ cups) plain white flour (all purpose flour)
- 200 g (1 stick + 6 tbsp) slightly salted butter cold and cubed
- 4 tbsp water
- 2 large eggs yolk and white separated
For the filing
- 200 g (7 oz) potatoes peeled then chopped into even-sized 5cm (2 inch) pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 10 g (2 tsp) slightly salted butter
- 125 g (⅔ scant cup) silverskin pickled onions halved
- 1/2 tsp (½ tsp) cumin seeds
- 100 g (¾ cup) mature cheddar cheese (sharp cheddar) vegetarian if required, grated
- 50 g (2 tbsp + 1 tsp) onion chutney
- 5 g (2 tbsp) fresh parsley roughly chopped
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
Make the pastry
- Put the flour and butter into a bowl. Rub together quickly and efficiently until you have something resembling fine breadcrumbs. You can do this by pulsing in a food processor, if you prefer.
- Add the egg yolk (reserve the white for later) and 4 tbsp of cold water. Cut the liquid through the crumb with a cutlery knife. If it still seems really dry, add another drop or two of water, but try not to add more as a wet dough may result in a tough or soggy pastry.
- Gather the pastry into a ball and knead only as long as it takes to get a smooth, even texture.
- Wrap and place in the fridge to rest.
Make the filling
- Put the potatoes in a pan of cold water. Boil for 10 minutes until just tender. You don’t want them too soft or they’ll break apart when added to the mix. Drain and set aside to cool.
- Put the oil and butter in a pan over a medium heat.
- Once the butter is melted, add the onions and cumin and fry for 5 minutes until soft and browning.
- Put the cheese in a bowl with the chutney, parsley, fried onions and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir together.
- Chop the potatoes into small 1/2cm (half inch) pieces. Add to the bowl and stir through.
Make the pasties
- Line two baking trays with baking paper.
- Lightly flour your work surface and work with half of your pastry at a time. Roll the pastry out to about 3mm (⅛ inch).
- Cut out rounds using a 10cm (4 inch) cookie cutter or upturned small bowl. In total, using all the pastry and re-rerolling where necessary, you should get 16-18 rounds in total.
- Put a spoonful of filling mixture in the centre of each disc of pastry. Bring the sides together and pinch together at the top to form a classic pastie shape.
- Place the pasties on the lined baking trays.
- Brush with egg white and sprinkle with milled black pepper.
- Cook in the oven at 220C(200C/430 fan) for 18 minutes until golden.
- Serve with salad, fresh green veg, pack into your lunchbox, or enjoy in whatever way takes your fancy.
Video
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from one originally provided by McCain.
If you enjoyed this recipe you'll also love my delicious tofu skewers or this incredible easy savoury vegetable cake.
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Zoe says
Please don't call these Cornish when they're not. Nothing about this is a Cornish Pasty. Even the crimping isnt.
Emily Leary says
Fair!
Anita says
I don’t have a scale so have to make a good guess. I make regular size Cornish pasties but this looks wonderful. Anxious to try your short crust. I’m not used to tiny tiny pasties. My whole family loves Cornish pasties and have introduced it to in-laws etc.
Emily Leary says
Thank you! Hope you enjoy.
Cured Confection says
What a great winter idea! And great for lunches too. I think I will be making some of these. Thanks! Lacey
Janice says
Sounds really tasty.
TheBoyandMe says
I'm putting these onto my meal planner for next week! Love them!