The experience of tasting mushrooms in homemade macaroni cheese inspired me to create a pastry version of those flavours. I omitted the macaroni from this version and focused on loading the filling with mushrooms.
The outcome turned out great because the golden crusty pastry contained gooey cheese and earthy mushrooms.
The dish pairs well with vegetables and juicy beef steak and any other food you want to serve with a rich cheesy bite inside flaky pastry.
So here it is…
🍄 Mushroom & Cheese Pastry Cups
Makes: 4 pastry cups
Ingredients:
🥧 Pastry
200 g (1 ½ cups) plain flour
100 g (7 tbsp) cold butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp cold water
½ tsp salt
🧀 Filling:
350 g (about 3-4 cups) mushrooms, chopped - foraged or shop bought.
2 tbsp butter (for the roux)
1 tbsp plain flour
250 ml milk.
100 g (1 cup loosely packed) grated cheese (cheddar + mozzarella)
½ tsp mustard (Dijon)
½ tsp paprika
1-2 tsp parsley or thyme
Salt & black pepper, to taste
Method
🥧 Pastry:
Rub butter into flour. Add salt, yolk and water.
Mix lightly until just come together.
Chill 30 mins.
🍄 Dry-fry mushrooms:
Place chopped mushrooms in a hot pan (no oil/butter). Cook until they release their water, and the water evaporates.
🧀 Make the sauce (roux):
Melt butter in a small saucepan, add flour, and stir until sandy.
Slowly whisk in warm milk, a little at a time, until smooth and thickened.
Stir in most of the cheese until melted.
Season lightly with salt, pepper, thyme, paprika, and mustard powder. Set aside.
Stir the dry-fried mushrooms into the cheese sauce.
Add the parsley or any preferred herb,
🥧 Assemble:
Divide the dough into 4.
Roll out pastry, cut circles, and line foil cups.
Fill generously with the mushroom-cheese mixture.
Brush the edges with egg
Put the lid on top.
Press and crimp the edges.
Brush with eggwash.
Add mushroom decor and bush the top again.
Bake: 180°C (350°F), 20–25 mins until pastry is golden and filling is bubbling.
Let cool if preferred as a hand pastry, the cheesy mushroom filling will set.
Or
It can be eaten hot.
This was nice, hot with the meal.
The pastry was crumbly, crunchy on the edges, but held well.
The cheesy mushroom was delicious, and the spices were balanced.
This was a delicious treat today!
My share in 
Have a lovely day,
Mariah 💗🍄😊
