As winter closes in, I prefer to spend more time at home around my family, and nothing brings a family closer than a hearty meal. Winter is my family’s season to get creative with cooking and explore new recipes to bring into the new year.

One family favourite is a delicious pie filled with seasonal vegetables and topped with mashed potatoes. Each year, we try to learn a new recipe, as the season provides us with a bit more flexibility in our busy schedules, allowing us to perfect what we hope will become a new family classic. Although we usually save time by purchasing store-bought pastry, this year we’re feeling adventurous! Each of us will make our own pastry, and we’ll see who among us has a natural talent for pastry-making.

In the past, some of our favourite pies have included turkey and vegetable, chicken pot pie, chicken and asparagus, and my father’s favourite, the unique Philly cheesesteak pie! Although our first attempt at the cheesesteak pie was, to put it mildly, questionable, it turned into a fantastic story. After some practice, we truly perfected this unique dish! This year, we’re excited to create individual steak and ale pies using a simple rough puff pastry recipe.

‘Rough’ puff pastry simplifies the process of layering butter between folds of pastry, minimising the risk of over-handling it and causing the butter to melt. This can ruin the beautiful layers that should rise during baking. Despite its name, the ‘rough’ method yields a pastry that is delicious with a slightly uneven finish, making it an ideal choice for those with less baking experience who still want that homemade flavour.

To save time and keep the kitchen cleaner, we recommend making the pastry the night before starting the cooking process. This preparation allows for extra time in case of any mishaps, which is especially helpful since we are learning a new skill. The pastry can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge for up to two days or frozen for up to a month. This is useful information, especially if you have any leftovers. As the saying goes, waste not, want not.

On the next day, we’ll begin making our pie filling. We found a delectable recipe from Sainsbury’s Magazine and will do our best to honour it! The recipe includes some key steps to ensure the dish is as rich and flavourful as possible. For example, it suggests coating the steak in flour before browning it in vegetable oil, then slow-cooking it in the juices from the meat along with stock and vegetables. This method not only creates a delicious gravy but also tenderises the meat, resulting in a filling that is full of flavour. I have to say that the part I am most looking forward to, other than eating our delicious pies, of course, is decorating the pie tops with intricate pastry designs and adding our own personal touch to this delightful dish. After all, putting a twist on a recipe is what makes it special to your home!

Now that you have heard from us, we would love to hear from you all. What are some of your favourite winter warmer recipes? At La Maison Chic, one of our very best sellers is our range of beautiful dining tables, so we know that you all take pride in home cooking and dining, and we are always eager to learn from our customers and connect. As a family-run business, we take pride that our furniture helps to shape houses into homes, knowing that this winter many of you will be enjoying family feasts for this season.