Extract: Truffled Brie Pie from EASY AS PIE

Pies are a Kiwi institution! Flaky golden pastry containing a rich and succulent filling - they're the perfect human fuel for any road trip, and the first thing many of us crave whenever we stray too far from these shores. But why limit yourself to whatever's lurking in the petrol station pie warmer when you can learn the secrets to perfect pie-making for yourself?

Oozing with stop-you-in-your-tracks recipes that are all seriously addictive, Wendy Morgan's Easy as Pie deserves a permanent place in the kitchens of all you pie addicts out there.

Read on for a fabulous treat-yourself recipe extract from this recently released book.

Extracted from Easy as Pie: A relaxed approach to pastry and pie making by Wendy Morgan, published by Bateman Books, RRP $39.99, with kind permission.

Truffled Brie Pie

My favourite way to serve this pie is to cut it into wedges with a salad of pear and walnut dressed with a lemony vinaigrette. It’s very rich and the acid pairs well with it. Drizzle some extra truffle oil on when you are serving if you like a big truffle kick.

1 quantity Rough Puff Pastry 1 (see below) 

2 dried figs 

1 heaped tsp honey 

125g wheel of Brie 

1 tsp truffle oil 

6 rosemary leaves, cut in half 

Pinch flaky salt 

Pinch black pepper 

1 egg 

Pinch poppy seeds

Preheat the oven to 200˚C fan bake. 

Remove the central, hard stalk from the figs and cut them in half horizontally. Drizzle the honey over them and microwave for 30 seconds. 

On a lightly floured bench, roll the pastry out to 3mm thick. Use the Brie as a measure and cut a circle 4cm wider around the Brie to make the pastry base. Use your pastry base as your next measure and cut another circle 2cm larger than your base and this will be your lid. 

Place the pastry base on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Place the Brie in the centre and top with the figs, honey, truffle oil, rosemary and salt and pepper. 

Brush the edges of the pastry with water, then lay the lid over and press the two layers together. Crimp around the edges with your fingers or press with the tip of a fork. 

Whisk the egg and egg-wash the top of the pie. Make some air holes around the side of the pie with the tip of a knife, then sprinkle with poppy seeds. 

Bake the pie for 18 minutes, until nice and golden brown. Let rest for a few minutes before cutting and serving.

Rough Puff Pastry 1

200g high grade white flour

200g butter, room temperature firm, cut into cubes

Pinch salt

100ml cold water

Place the flour, butter and salt into an electric mixer with the paddle attachment and mix until the flour has coated all of the butter cubes and is starting to break them down a little. Add the water and mix until a rough dough forms. Remove the dough from the mixer, form into a ball, flatten a little, wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 15 minutes. Roll the dough out to a rectangle to approximately 35cm x 20cm and fold into thirds. Give the pastry a quarter turn on your bench and roll out to the same size rectangle, then fold into thirds again. Wrap back in cling film and rest in the fridge for 15 minutes. Repeat this procedure two more times.

Easy as Pie is available in all good bookstores now.