Cheesy Pumpkin Brain Pies Recipe

Cheesy Pumpkin Brain Pies; bite sized savoury treats full of seasonal pumpkin and delicious cheddar cheese encased in flaky pastry, perfect savoury nibbles for Halloween! Recipe courtesy of Kelly Cletheroe of Maverick Baking.

 

When Halloween is on the way, our minds first fill with thoughts of ghouls, horrors and wacky costumes. Secondly, we think of children’s buckets overflowing with all things sweet and sugary. Miniature chocolates, chewy sweets, hard candies and caramels, Halloween is awash with sweet treats.

 

So if you’re throwing a party to celebrate the spookiest night of the year, or you just fancy putting on a fun and festive spread for your family, you may feel like you don’t need to add any extra sweetness to the table!

 

 

With so many sweets, and the internet full of dessert recipes at this time of year, it can be a fun challenge to bake up something savoury to stock your kitchen with instead. This is the perfect time to bake up these ugly-but-delicious Cheesy Pumpkin Brain Pies!

 

Flaky puff pastry, delicious seasonal pumpkin and sharp cheddar cheese make these bite sized savoury pies an absolute delight to nosh on at this time of year. These are equally good whether eaten warm or cold, and thanks to the mad science of baking, the filling will puff up into a big orange brain-shape, ideal for a ghoulish or gory Halloween celebration. Kids and adults alike will love these little pies.

 

These little snacks are wonderfully easy to make too, shop bought pastry and pureed pumpkin will make your time in the kitchen much easier. Then all you need to do is decorate with some fun pieces from Partyrama, and you’ll be all set for a night of spooks, and snacks!

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet or block of shop-bought puff pastry
• 350g tinned pumpkin puree (or mashed up cooked butternut squash, pumpkin or sweet potato)
• 100g sour cream or crème fraiche
• 100g grated cheddar cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• Pinch of dried herbs (rosemary and thyme work really well!)
• Salt and pepper to season

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven – 190 degrees for conventional ovens or 170 degrees for fan ovens.
2. Look out a muffin or cupcake tin, and lightly grease each of the holes.
3. Cut some thin strips of foil or greaseproof paper and press into each hole. (See pictures!)
4. Use a plain or fluted round cutter to cut 12 discs out of your pastry. A 3.5inch or 9cm cutter should be fine. You may need to re-roll your pastry to cut the 12 discs.
5. Place all the discs into the holes of your muffin tin, and gently press them into the base and sides.
6. In a large bowl, mix together all the remaining ingredients until combined and fairly smooth.
7. Spoon the mixture evenly between each of the 12 pastry cases, you may not need it all.
8. Bake the little pies in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until the filling and pastry have puffed and the filling does not wobble when you shake the tin.
9. Allow the pies to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
10. Enjoy!

 

 

If you you enjoyed this amazing recipe, let us know on our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #partyramauk, and visit Partyrama to buy party supplies, balloons, decorations and lots more!