Small round cakes with incredibly delicious and flavorful filling - a traditional British cakes called Means Pais. Cakes look very impressive, but considering that they have also a fabulous story, it is imperative to prepare them to all mothers!
In the famous epic of John Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" hobbit Bilbo has been hit by gluttonous gnomes who have eaten all his reserves, but it just proves how appetizing cakes.
By the way, a few hundred years ago, Means Pais prepared exclusively with meat. Today - this is the traditional sand-cakes with a fruit stuffing, often with apple, but always with the addition of a few drops of brandy, liqueur or brandy. That's what gives it the characteristic flavor note.
Looking ahead, make a reservation: all alcoholic vapors during baking Means Pais evaporate, so the kids these goodies can also be!
Means Pais look like the real thing, only small and nice cakes. The British traditionally prepared them for Christmas, however, nothing prevents us to bake delicious pirozhochki today, having pleased the most fabulous family meal.
INGREDIENTS:For filling: raisins - 200 g, candied - 200 g, lard - 200 g, brandy or brandy - ¾ cup, lemon - 1 units, orange - 1 pc., almonds -. 100 g spice blend (cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg ) - 3 tsp .;
For the dough: flour - 500 g Sugar - 150 g butter - 120 g, pork lard - 120 g egg - 1 units, milk -. 3 tablespoons,
HOW TO COOK: Filling for pies prepare a few days before cooking. It must be insisted, filling flavors of all the ingredients, creating fabulous bouquet of taste.
Apples peeled, cut into cubes. Raisins are washed, dried. In a bowl, mix the raisins, apples, candied fruits, lard, lemon and orange peel, almonds, spices. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and leave overnight in a cool place, to allow the flavors to blend, to deepen and unfold in all its glory.
The next day Preheat oven to a low temperature of 120 ° C. Cover the bowl with foil and place in oven for 3 hours. During this time, and at such a moderate heat melts the fat, and the apples soften and Extinguishes.
We took out a bowl from the oven and give a cool, stirring occasionally. When the mixture is completely cool, stir it again, adding brandy. Leave overnight, covered with a clean towel.
The next day, mix one last time and expanded in sterilized jars. Close the lids and remove a cool, dark, dry place. The stuffing can be stored for several weeks.
The finished dough. Sift flour, adding diced and softened butter and lard (unless like lard in baking, replace it with the same amount of butter). finger tip to rub fat into the flour until we obtain a mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Pour the sugar, add the egg yolk and milk and stir with a spoon until the dough begins to gather into a ball. We wrap the dough with cling film and cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface into a working layer of about 3 mm thick, and using tins excised therefrom circles. Lining of two forms for muffins. Using smaller diameter mold, cut to 24 "cap" for them.
Each patty densely spread previously harvested stuffing - 2 teaspoons with slide lightly tamping.
Oil the dough base edge of the milk, cover each cake lid and carefully zaschipyvaem your fingers or a fork. Then oil the top of a small amount of milk. Bake in a preheated 190 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
By the way, Means Pais will be even more effective if the "caps" do not circles of dough, and using, for example, mold in the form of stars or leaves.
