Mrs Crunch shares three delicious pastry recipes to get you through the colder autumn months

WE are now officially in autumn – and when it comes to food that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

There are some great filling, warming and economical recipes to explore during the colder months.

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Why not indulge in some lovely dishes using pastry?

You don’t need to make your own – there are now brilliant fresh and frozen ones in the supermarket.

Here are three tasty recipes using puff and shortcrust pastry.

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Low-fat Cornish pasties - 67p per serving

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SERVES six. Preparation time: 30 minutes. Cooking time: One hour. One serving contains 406 calories (20 per cent of the recommended daily adult intake); 16.2g fat (23 per cent); 6.8g sat fat (34 per cent); 4.6g sugar (5 per cent); 0.4g salt (7 per cent).

YOU NEED:

• 300g beef – skirt or braising steak – finely chopped, all fat removed
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 150g onion, finely chopped
• 150g swede, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper, to season
• 1 packet of fresh or frozen low-fat shortcrust pastry
• 450g potato, finely chopped
• 1 free-range egg, beaten

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 180C.

Place the chopped beef and flour in a bowl and mix until the meat is coated.

Season the beef and vegetables with salt and black pepper.

Divide the pastry into six equal pieces.

Roll out each piece of pastry on to a lightly floured work surface until it is just larger than a plate.

Trim the edges of each piece of pastry to form a disc.

Spoon some of the chopped potato on to one half of each disc, leaving 1.5cm free at the edges.

Spoon swede on top of the potato, then the onion, then the beef.

Brush the edges of the pastry discs lightly all over with a little of the beaten egg.

Cover the filled side of each pastry disc with the other half of the disc and press the edges together with a fork to seal.

Brush the top of each pasty with more beaten egg.

Using a sharp knife, cut a small cross shape in the top through which the steam can escape.

Place the pasties on to a baking tray and transfer to the oven.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden-brown and the filling is cooked through and piping hot

When the pasties are cooked, remove them from the oven and set aside for ten minutes, then serve.

TIP: Add any root vegetables you desire.

Individual beef Wellingtons - £5.18 per serving

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SERVES four. Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 45  minutes. One serving contains 829 calories (41 per cent of the recommended daily adult intake); 51.3g fat (73 per cent); 23.2g sat fat (116 per cent); 2.3g sugar (3 per cent); 3.2g salt (53 per cent).

YOU NEED:

• 4 thick fillet steaks
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 slices of duck or pork paté, 30g each
• One packet of puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten
• For the mushroom topping:
  1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp chopped shallots
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 300g button mushrooms
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp white pepper
• 3 tbsp dry white wine

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 200C.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Season both sides of each fillet with salt and pepper and sear for one minute each side in a frying pan over a medium high heat.

Transfer to a plate to cool.

Make the mushroom topping by heating the butter in a frying pan.

Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the mushrooms, salt and white pepper.

Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 12 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to caramelise.

Add the wine and cook, stirring to deglaze the pan, until all the liquid has evaporated.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool before using.

When both are cool, roll out the puff pastry to a 40cm square and cut into four.

Spread one-quarter of the mushrooms on top of each fillet and top each with one slice of paté, pressing to flatten.

Place one fillet, mushroom-side down, in the centre of a puff pastry square.

Paint the inside edges of the pastry with egg.

Fold the pastry over the fillet as though wrapping a parcel and press the edges to seal.

Place them seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.

Brush the egg over the tops and sides and bake until golden.

For medium-rare, about 20 minutes.

Add an extra two minutes for medium, a further two minutes for well done.

Remove from the oven and rest for ten minutes before serving.

TIP: To seal the pastry use a pastry brush . . . or your finger! 

Tuna plait - 42p per serving

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SERVES six. Preparation time: ten minutes. Cooking time: 40 minutes. One serving contains 459 calories (23 per cent of the recommended daily adult intake); 30.2g fat (43 per cent); 11.7g sat fat (58 per cent); 1.2g sugar (1 per cent); 1.1g salt (20 per cent).

• YOU NEED:
• 2 x 160g tins of tuna
• 2 tbsps mayonnaise
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 free range egg (beaten)
• 2 sticks of celery, diced
• Pinch of flour, for dusting
• 500g puff pastry
• Pepper, to season

METHOD: Heat oven to 200C.

Mix the tuna, mayonnaise, lemon, half the egg and celery.

Sprinkle some flour on to the surface and roll out your pastry into a rectangle, approx 2-3mm thick and 40 x 30cm.

Brush pastry with egg, place tuna mix in a sausage down the centre, leaving a gap (about 3cm) at the top and bottom.

Sprinkle pepper on top.

Cut the pastry equally on each side of the filling into diagonal 2cm strips (about 12).

Tuck the top and bottom over the filling and, starting at the top, plait the pastry strips over the filling – right strip, left strip, repeat.

Brush with remaining egg, place on a lined tray and bake for 30-40 minutes until brown.

TIP: Sprinkle with seeds, such as sunflower or pumpkin, before baking.