Its a miniature sort of day.

[debih]

I love my Lakeland mini morsel pan!!

Today I have made mini quiche lorraine (24 of them), mini chicken and mushroom pies (24 of them) and I currently have mini mince pies in the oven (24 of them!).

Tomorrow I am going to make 24 mini yorkshire puddings - which will be warmed up on Boxing Day and I will add some thin strips of beef and a little dab of horseradish.

On Saturday I am going to make some mini filo pastry parcels which on Boxing Day will be filled with creme freche and smoked salmon.

I also need to make some sausage rolls but I will probably make them on Christmas Eve and keep them in a tin until Boxing Day as I'm not keen on them frozen and reheated.

Then my last thing to make will be the pear, meringue and chocolate pudding. I will have to make the meringue on Christmas Day night, along with toasting the hazelnuts but the rest is quick and easy enough to make on Boxing Day.

We are off to our friends on Boxing Day and I always take shop bought nibbles so it will be nice to take home made ones.

There will probably only be the 8 of us but the nibbles will keep us going all day - along with their left over turkey, ham and roast potatoes!

[Rodo]

My goodness, busy busy. Sounds wonderful.

[debih]

They are so very easy to make but look like you have gone to lots of effort! I am going to treat myself to another tray after Christmas as it would be less time consuming if I could make more than 24 in a go!!!

I bought the pastry - a block of shortcrust pastry makes 48 mini morsels plus lids for 24. Get the block of pastry at room temperature, break off little bits (9 grammes is the optimum size!!), roll in to a ball and push into the tray with the special tool.

A jar of mincemeat, a tin of chicken and mushroom pie mix. I did make the quiche mix - but hardly taxing.

Its more fiddly than difficult but I've been listening to the radio as I've done it and had a break whilst each batch has been in the oven.

Now I'm off to do the dreaded job of present wrapping before I stop for some lunch.

Maybe I might get dressed at some point today - I'm in my pj bottoms and my Christmas jumper!!!!

[Diflower]

They all sound lovely Debih
I can't justify the tray as I already have a nice mini-muffin tray which I think is just the same, but I did see the kitchen shop in town now has the little pusher tool on its own
I've usually made mini-sizes of most things, and this year found a pretty little tartlet tray in a charity shop so will be using that too

You can also make little cases ready to be filled by rolling sliced bread a bit flatter, cut out circles, brush with butter or oil and press into the tartlet tins. They keep in a tub for a good few days.

Re the sausage rolls, Bb and I tried one of Nigel's ideas the other week with some leftover pastry and are going to do them for Christmas - Palmier sausage rolls
So a block or sheet of puff pastry; sausagemeat all over, leaving edges. Brush long edge with egg, roll to middle, then roll the other side to meet. Brush with egg, slice into thin slices, lay on tray. Brush again and bake.
These froze well raw. We didn't actually make the palmier shape, just rolled it all up then sliced.
Really nice, basically the same as sausage rolls but more meat to pastry ratio and they looked good

[debih]

They sound nice Di.

Mine are the John Torrode recipe. Ready rolled puff pastry, cut in half lengthways. Slather it with sausagemeat that has been zuzzed up in the food processor with a little water and chopped sage.

[Diflower]

Think I've usually used Delia's which is similar with I think finely chopped onion as well. Much depends on the sausagemeat doesn't it.
I saw somewhere adding some chorizo to the sausagemeat too, might do some like that

[debih]

Mmmmmm - that sounds nice.

I love chorizo.

[Kaz]

They all sound wonderful

I am awfully lazy, I buy in all our stuff Oh I am spiking my Christmas cake with rum at the moment ready for icing at the weekend

[Paddypix]

Debih, you've reminded me that I have one of those trays. Mine came from Lakeland years ago and it's called a mini muffin tin with 12 holes but it's the same thing and I have the dibber too. The only problem is that I can't find it! I think it must be in the shed from when I had a new kitchen a few years ago and things were stored there. I'll look for it tomorrow and make some of those little mini quiches.

[miasmum]

In the shed Sure you're not thinking of one of those things you use to plant your bulbs Paddy?