karipap, baked

this is probably not the most good looking karipap you've ever seen. It is perhaps the most delicious. The pastry delicate, buttery, rich and crumbly and melt in your mouth mingling with the most fragrant of beef, potatoes, carrot and peas filling.

It's the karipap that would immediately transport me to my childhood afternoon teas. No, it's not the fried version made with swirly pastry you find almost everywhere in Malaysia. It's baked and buttery, made from scratch. The kind that my mom made.

These were made using Michel Roux's Pate Brisee from his book Pastry, savoury and sweet. I must confess that I picked it up because it was Roux's book but I took it home because of the photo at the back hacket cover. It's a photo of cornish pasties which reminded me too much of my mom's karipap and I knew I had to go home, turn to page 20 and make the pate brisee.

The recipe worked the first time. You won't be tempted to knead it because the proportion worked and everything mixed just right to make the perfect dough. The texture of the dough is delicate so it might tear a little but I find it add charms to the end results. I wasn't brave enough to decorate the edges as the dough was crumbly. I love the rustic finish and think it looks so home made.

Karipap

Ingredients:

1 quantity pate brisee

filling

eggwash made of eggyolk and 1TBSp milk

Pate Brisee

(from Michel Roux Pastry)

250g plain flour

150g butter - cut into small pieces and slightly softened

1 tsp fine salt

pinch of caster sugar

1 egg

1 TBSP cold milk

Method:

1. Heap the flour on a work surface and make a well. Put in the butter, sugar, salt and egg. Using your fingertips, mix and cream these ingredients together.

2. Little by little, draw in the flour, working the dough delicately until it has a grainy texture.

3. Add the milk and incorporate gently with your fingertips until the dough begins to hold together.

4. Using the palm of your hand, work the dough by pushing it away from you 4-5 times until it is smooth. Roll it into a ball, wrap in cling film and refrigerate until ready to use. (I usually let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes)

Filling

the recipe can be found here

You can make the filling the night before and let it cool completely before assembly.

Assembly

1. Preheat the oven to 180C or gas mark 4.

2. Roll our the pastry to a 2-3mm thickness. Using a cutter or bowl, cut the dough into discs.

3. Spoon the filling into an oval in the middle of each disc.

4. Brush the edge of the disc with eggwash.

5. Fold the sides of the pastry together, pinching hard in a dozen places to seal the pastry perfectly.

6. Place on a bakingsheet.

7. Brush with eggwash and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

8. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

9. Serve at once.