Can be vegan*
Serves 6-8

Ingredients

For the pastry:
350g/12 oz plain white flour
pinch of salt
5ml/1tsp baking powder
100g/4oz butter or hard vegan margarine*
175ml/6 fl oz water
1 free range egg beaten, or soya milk* to glaze

For the filling:
30ml/2tbsp oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
225g/8oz spinach, washed and chopped
100g/4 oz roasted hazelnuts, finely ground
100g/4 oz ground almonds
100g/4 oz breadcrumbs
5ml/1tsp rosemary
5ml/1tsp thyme
5ml/1tsp shoyu
30ml/2 tbsp tahini or peanut butter
300ml/ ½ pint light stock (bouillon powder)

For the cranberry layer:
50g/2oz sultanas soaked in a little brandy
150ml/5 fl oz water
225g/8oz cranberries
175g/6oz sugar

© Copyright The Vegetarian Society 2001

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.

2. Make the filling first: Heat the oil and fry the onion until soft. Add the spinach and fry for 3 minutes. Mix the nuts, breadcrumbs and herbs together in a large bowl. Add the shoyu and tahini/peanut butter and enough stock to give a moist texture. Season to taste and allow to cool.

3. For the cranberry layer: Put the sultanas in brandy, water, cranberries and sugar into a saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook, covered until the cranberries pop (about 5-10 minutes). Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

4. For the pastry: Mix the flour, salt and baking powder
together in a large mixing bowl.

5. Melt the fat and water together in a saucepan and bring to the boil. When boiling fast add the liquid into the flour and mix together quickly.

6. As soon as you can handle the pastry, quickly knead it to a smooth dough.

7. Mould 2/3 of the pastry into a 20cm/8 inch spring mould tin, using your knuckles to work it into the corners and up the sides. Keep the remaining 1/3 warm while doing this, by wrapping in cling film and placing on top of a warm kettle lid (the heat and steam will keep it warm and
moist).

8. Fill the mould with half the hazelnut filling packing it
down well. Top with half of the cranberry layer. Repeat the layers.

9. Roll out the remaining 1/3 pastry to form a lid. Moisten the edges and place the lid on top of the filling. Press the edges down and flute them with your fingers or a fork. Trim the edges and decorate the top with holly leaves cut out from the pastry trimmings.

10. Glaze with egg or soya milk. Make a hole in the middle for the steam to escape and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and continue to bake for a further 50 minutes, until golden. This pie makes a wonderful Christmas centrepiece served hot or cold.