Cornish Pasty Recipe - Cornish Recipes

How to make Cornish Pasty:

It is a privilege for me to include my Cornish pasty recipe in the Green Chronicle. I was born in Cornwall which is the last county in the Southwest of Great Britain, surrounded on three sides by the sea. It is a wonderful county, steeped in history and legend with breathtaking scenery. Two of its most famous authors are the late Daphne Du Maurier, who wrote the book Rebecca, and Sir Arthur Quiller Couch who wrote under the nom de plume of Q. One of his best known books is entitled Troy Town and is about the sea port of Fowey where they both lived and where I worked for several years. Cornwall was always a comparatively poor county. The main industries were tin mining (now finished), china clay mining, fishing and agriculture; therefore the food had to be nutritious, economical and cheap. The men folk for the most part needed a packed lunch which would travel well, hence the birth of that most delectable savoury the Cornish pasty. I still make my own most weeks, because it is very difficult to buy a shop pasty that would come anywhere near a Cornish person's high standards.

Cornish Pasty Recipe for 4 Pasties (using a six inch diameter tea plate)

To help you make the pasties, I have some pictures showing the process I take to make my pasties. Just click on the links (e.g. Picture 1) and the picture should pop-up on the screen.

Ingredients for short crust pastry

1lb plain flour
1/2 lb either lard hard margarine or butter or a combination of these
pinch of salt
cold water to mix
(see measure conversions for more information)

Method

Rub the fat into the flour but not too finely. I sometimes cut the fat into small lumps. Add the salt and then start adding the water gradually until it works together into a ball without being sticky. Put aside in a cool place.

Ingredients for filling

3/4 lb beef, not stewing beef
raw potato
raw swede (also known as rutabaga or yellow/swedish turnip - see wikipedia)
small onion
salt and pepper
a walnut sized piece of butter

Method

Cut the steak into small pieces but do not mince. Slice potato and swede into thin, small pieces about half an inch across. Chop onion finely. Dust the work surface with flour. Roll out the pastry to about 1/4 inch thickness. Using a small plate cut out circles (Picture 1 & Picture 2). Moisten the edge with milk or water (Picture 3) and support half of the pastry nearest to you over the rolling pin (Picture 4). On the other half, put a small layer of prepared vegetables then a layer of beef (Picture 5 & Picture 6). Repeat this once but be careful not to have too much filling which would cause the pastry to burst during the cooking process (Picture 7). Sprinkle sparingly with salt and pepper then add a small bit of the butter (Picture 8 & Picture 9). Sprinkle a dusting of flour over the filling (this helps to make the gravy). Fold the other half of pastry which has been resting on the rolling pin over the filling and squeeze the half circle edges firmly together (Picture 10 & Picture 11). Starting at the right side whilst supporting the left side with other hand, using first finger and thumb turn the edge over to form a crimp (Picture 12 & Picture 13). Repeat this process all along the edge (Picture 14). This will come with practice but you must get a good seal. Brush pasty with beaten egg wash to help with browning process and put a small one inch cut in the centre of the top to allow steam to escape (Picture 15, Picture 16 & Picture 17). Bake in a hot oven 220 degrees centigrade for about 20 minutes then reduce temperature to 160 degrees centigrade for a further 40 minutes. Smaller pasties need less time. If they are browning too quickly cover loosely with greased paper.

I hope this recipe helps you create wonderful Cornish Pasties. I am delighted to say that we now have a Forum on The Green Chronicle and part of it is dedicated to the Cornish Pasty and all things Cornish. I would love to hear your stories and questions and see any pictures that you have.

Gans oll an colon vy,

Quidco - Where Savvy Shoppers Save Money!

If you have a question or comment relevant to this page, then please post it below.

Comment Script

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If I'm reading this correctly, filling goes in uncooked?? Is this correct?? Not tried it yet

#103 - Lin - 02/06/2010 - 01:47

Correction to a comment of mine on this page, dated 4/13/2008.

The web site cited, devoted to the Cornish pasty, has moved to The Cornish Pasty & Pastypaedia: http://www.cornishpasties.org.uk

Keith

#102 - Keith Ryan - 01/26/2010 - 03:46

Pasty is an obsession to this relative of a Cornish ancestor. It is always in the back of ones mind. My one and only lifetime trip to Porthleven, Cornwall, the home of my grandfather Henry Martin and grandma Mary Polly Hosking was the highlight of my life. No one in the area of the city of Lansing, Michigan can come close to creating a pasty such as your Cornish heritage can. Please market yours worldwide. We live for them.

#101 - Tom Martin/Hosking - 01/12/2010 - 09:15

I grew up in st ives and now live in hampshire but return to cornwall every year and always have a pasty! so glad to be able to make my own now too : ) thanks x

#100 - errin - 01/12/2010 - 07:06

I am American and my husband is from London although for many years he lived in Plymouth. We live in the US and I LOVE this recipe! I have made these about 3 times now and think I've finally mastered it. My husband is sooooo happy that I have learned how to make these! THANK YOU for sharing your recipe and especially the pictures.

#99 - Denise - 01/11/2010 - 09:21

well im in snowy bulgarian village and i woke up n thought i gotta have a cornish pasty! ok i know how to make my version but i trawled thru the internet and your recipe is as close to the memories of my holidays of cornwall in the 70s! nut i cheated with the pastry and i added 2 teaspoons of port to each as well! well it is xmas! my scottish friends popped in just as they were coming out of the oven so theyve all gone now! oh well a good excuse to do some more!!!!!

#98 - mark - 01/03/2010 - 08:05

"Babymona"... About your judgement of "Nige". Perhaps you should check your facts before telling someone they are wrong. Nige, is correct that Cornwall is not a county of England, it is a Duchy. The Duke of Cornwall is head of State in Cornwall, not the Monarch.

Thanks and GREAT recipe too, very yummy!

#97 - Alex - 12/29/2009 - 12:23

I would just like to say fab receipe!

Also comment to "Nige-a proper Cornish job"
Have a word with yourself you Silly man " Cornwall has never been part of England constitutionally or Legally-WHAT then I guess you don't pay taxes or have any Government agencies then?
This is a rediculous comment to make & you Pro Cornwall, Anti-everyone who isn't make me laugh, your the first to moan about tourist's etc but then your happy to make money out of them selling the ware's of your local area!

#96 - Babymona - 12/06/2009 - 04:07

We always added a nice bit of chopped parsley on top of the other ingredients, after softening it up in a little very hot water first. That was curly parsley, not the less flavorful flat kind.

My mother would make small jam pasties with the leftover pastry.

#95 - margaret carne - 11/19/2009 - 10:15

hay, loving the pasty recipe

#94 - bill - 11/19/2009 - 04:38

Just a quick heads up to all postin on here that Cornwall is a part of Englnad, it is not and never has been a part of England consitutionally or legally.

I know you don't mean to cause offence, but as a 'proper job' Cornish boy I would just like to get the facts right.

As for my pasty story, my ancestors were tin miners in the Redruth area - in fact one of the shafts at South Crofty is named with my family name. The pasties I was brought up on were made to my great aunts receipe that she learnt from her parents, and so on.

The greatest pasty memory was my mother making them early on a summer morning, wrapping them up in towels for a day out at the beach. After hours of messing about in the water, to be wrapped in a pasty warmed towel and munching a pasty on a sun baked sandy beach was near to heaven for young Cornish kids !

#93 - Nige - 11/19/2009 - 03:24

In pursuit of finding the best method to freeze pasties, with great delight I stumbled upon your website. I am cornish from Boscastle and Saltash, now living in Calgary, Canada. I have been making pasties all my life. My Mum and I used to make them for the church bazaars (and way back for the Women's institute!!) Since my son loves his pasty, I make up batches of 24 a few times a year and freeze them. I find if I freeze them uncooked the potato goes grey when cooked. So, I now cook them and take out 10 mins. before cooking completion. Then freeze individually. They still tend to be a bit soggy when reheated. Any other suggestions are most welcome.

As an aside ...this is a good recipe - I was taught the meat has to be "shredded" and the potatoes "chipped" ..but hard to explain w/o hands on instruction. Also the roping - on top, it's from South Cornwall, along the side from North Cornwall. And, I was also told, "the devil never came to Cornwall for fear he would be put into a pasty" !!

#92 - Christina Stephens - 11/18/2009 - 11:26

I am just making your pasties for a Cornish lady I am nursing at work. Her dying wish is to have what she knows as food. I'll let you know what she thinks. I have a feeling it will be good

#91 - Val - 11/12/2009 - 00:48

I live in Buffalo, NY and am of Cornish decendency, I am learning of my heritage and have raised my 3 children with splashes of traditional foods their ancestors made. I will be trying this pasty recipie this weekend and am very excited. My 22 year old son read the recipie and cannot wait for me to make it!!!! I will leave a crumb for the Piskies, should I leave a bowl of cream as well?

#90 - Elizabeth Baran - 11/06/2009 - 12:15

I made these pasties using rump steak, vegetables from the garden and 'a lot' of salt and pepper. Sorry, but they tasted of nothing - the occasional taste of swede.

Gravy? where is that supposed to come from? There was none.

Adding Worcestershire Sauce to the mixture made a lot of difference !

Trevor

#89 - Trevor - 10/29/2009 - 11:55

I had an awful so called "Cornish Pasty" at "Prontos" in Warrnambool Victoria Australia it was bloody awful full of bitter cabbage and heated in a Micowave soggy LOL

#88 - Michael M. - 10/13/2009 - 00:04

I'm a Padstow boy who moved away for work and education. I only get a decent pasty once a year around Mayday, Mother's secret recipe (Nod/Wink) Feeling a little home sick I made one from yours today and twas some andsome you. You can take the Cornish man out of Cornwall, but never Cornwall out of the man. Thanks and kindest regards

Malcolm

#87 - Malcolm Martyn - 10/12/2009 - 05:28

This is very similar to my recipe which is good to see.

You really have to add .... that a true pasty will hang over each end of the plate to be the right size,

Best regards,

Adam

#86 - Adam L Bowden - 10/10/2009 - 20:46

Hey, I must say that is a good pasty recipe! Ive lived in Cornwall all my life and have eaten many a pasty, there is a lot of bad ones out there! But I must say this one is very very good!

Don't forget to leave some crimp for the piskies!

Dyw genes!

#85 - Tom - 09/15/2009 - 04:37

My gran was from Cornwall ,Her maiden name was Rose Annie HOARE. i can remember her making pasties when i was very young ,I am now 72. I willbe attempting your recipe today .Right down here in NEW ZEALAND Kind Regards Glenys 11 September 2009

#84 - Glenys webb - 09/09/2009 - 19:20

Hi, I grew up eating Cornish Pasties made by my father. His famiy were from St Ives so I guess he got the recipe from his mother. I can still remember taking one of his dinner plate sized pasties to school for lunch (chunks of beef, onion, potato and swede - just like yours although my father never put butter in, just a sprinkling of cold water, salt and pepper) and then seeing the so-called Cornish Pasties my friends had with who knows what minced ingredients. I feel so sorry for people who have never tasted the 'real' thing and have only ever eaten those mass-produced ones. Thanks for posting your recipe and encouraging more people to try it for themselves.

Juliet

#83 - Juliet - 09/09/2009 - 07:23

I grew up in Ely, Minnesota, where everybody's mother made pasties, not just the Cornish/English. I have fond memories of the Barbara Ann Bakery, where they had pasties every day at lunchtime for fifty cents apiece, with onions or without. I think I'm going to use your recipe, because the pictures look a lot like the pasties we had when I was a kid. (I haven't had one since then.) I'm going to add suet to mine, though, so it'll be just like I remember.

#82 - Ed Rom - 09/07/2009 - 19:03

I'm originally from Devon where the same sort of pasties are called 'Oggies'. The difference is, I believe, is that the Cornish Pasty has a roll on tp wheras the Oggie has the crimping on the side. Both delicious

#81 - Anne Green - 09/07/2009 - 17:29

I have a tummy full of the most delicious Cornish Pasty I ever tasted. Thank YOU!

#80 - steve - 09/05/2009 - 12:21

I'm happy to find this recipe! Because my Nan (who is Cornish living in Canada) doesn't have to measure her ingredients when she makes pasties so up till now I could only guess at how much of what to put in.

#79 - Ash - 09/01/2009 - 00:37

Living in the American southwest this recpie reminds me of the latino empanada. I am going to be brave and make a batch of your pasties. If I double the recepie can I freeze some and reheat them later? How long can they stand the freezer and what are the instructions for reheating? For example does one reheat from frozen or thaw first? Perhaps freeze before baking and bake them off as needed?

I would also be interested any hints you have for making pasties and keeping them warm for a potluck.

#78 - Colette - 08/29/2009 - 11:20

My grandmother was welsh and cornish, and she said miners wives would make these meat pies for their husbands with one half meat and turnips and such and the other was dessert with apples or mincemeat, and when my dad would take us to his moms home she would make the meat version and let us kids take the left over pastry and put sugar butter and cinnimon, or just our favorite jelly inside. I miss the pasties and my grandmother.

#77 - Sunday Weiss - 08/07/2009 - 18:43

great recipe lol

#76 - james - 08/03/2009 - 17:31

great recipe. i substituted the beef with Morrison's own Vegan mince and it tasted fantastic! thank you!

#75 - jake benton - 12/02/2008 - 05:20

Thanks so much for the great pasty recipe. I grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where the pasty is a favorite regional dish due to the Cornish miners who brought them over. So I've been looking for a good recipe, and thanks to you this is exactly what I remember from childhood. Thanks again!

#74 - Jen - 11/02/2008 - 10:55

hi,
im' doin a school cook and i'm wondering
who invented the first pastie and where was the country it was made from and in what year was it found in thank you n i'm goin 2 use the recipe thank you ann x x

#73 - annmarie - 10/12/2008 - 07:44

I'm glad your sweet'n sour turned out so well. I must have a go at one of those. My mother used to make them with a little stewed fruit or jam and we took them down to the beach.
Your pastry sounds delicious and would probably be near to rough puff.

#72 - Connie - 09/27/2008 - 04:09

Hello Connie, I wrote to you a few days ago about have dinner and dessert in the same pasty. I had meat and veg filling 3/4 of the way along, then a little pastry wall, followed by some sliced apple layered in with brown sugar. On the outside I cut an arrow out of scrap pastry and stuck it on the outside to show in which direction to start eating.

I followed your pastry mix instruction, but then I rolled it out, spread butter and rolled and spread again a few more times. It's probably got a name, but I don't know it. It made a lovely light flaky pastry.

If you cut out an initial and stick it on, personalised pasties make super gifts.

Regards

Bill

#71 - Bill - 09/25/2008 - 18:07

Hello everyone. Thanks for taking the trouble to comment in Cornish! How wonderful!
I'm glad you are all enjoying your pasties.
I agree Bill that it would make more sense to eat the "handle" if you were hungry. I think they say that the miners had dirty hands! We never have any problems eating up all the pasty.
I have definitely heard of the savoury and sweet pasty. You need to put a little pastry dividing wall into the middle of the pasty.

#70 - Connie - 09/24/2008 - 12:06

Hello Connie,
Just come back from a holiday in Cornwall, so thanks for the the recipe. The pastry is in the fridge right now waiting to be rolled out.
I think that bit about the rolled edge being something to hold the pasty with and then throwing it away does not match up with the statement that miners needed a lot of nourishment and were poor. It would make more sense to hold the pasty in the paper wrapper and eat all of it. The pasty, not the paper.

I was evacuated to Gerrans and Portscatho (and it doesn't get much more Cornish than that) in the war, and my memory is that one end of the pasty had something sweet, apple or jam, in it for afters. That's what I am going ahead with. Let you know the result

In reply to the lady or gentleman in South Africa who cannot buy swede or turnip, why don't you grow some? Might even be able to sell some on and turn a small profit

Regards

Bill

#69 - Bill Lehan - 09/24/2008 - 10:35

I am not from cornwall or that part of england, i'm from Surrey but i love a good pasty! I loved them since the first time i tasted them. I like this traditional pasty but there is also one with similar ingredients but with onions, gravy and no beef which is also very nice!

#68 - Ben - 09/20/2008 - 16:24

Meur ras, Connie, ha pub bolonjedh da. My av vy mos gul pasti !

#67 - John - 09/10/2008 - 15:38

my husband made these for me and the kids this evening and they were the best yet, we've lived in cornwall for five years now and i haven't tasted beter.
thanks
jacky, st austell

#66 - jacky - 09/09/2008 - 15:17

It is a shame you can't get Swede out there.Are you sure they don't go under another name like Rutabaga or maybe they are only grown for cattle food.
sounds as if you are doing ok with your pasties.

#65 - Connie - 09/07/2008 - 10:48

Well, the thing about the Cornish pasty is that in fact you can put anything in it.Different families had their own favourite recipes. There was an old saying that the Devil wouldn't cross the Tamar for fear that the Cornish would cook him in a pasty (because they'd put ANYTHING into one).So really it is difficult to define exactly what a Cornish pasty is.The generally accepted pasty is the one which found favour with tourists ie the beef,potato,swede and onion version.
It must be commercial reasons that are leading people to get this trade marking and probably,in these days of the internet, to stop a London bakery from setting up selling pasties by post and calling them Cornish.That would be annoying to say the least for folk like The Chough Bakery.
We have all stood by in this country and seen so much of our heritage destroyed and rubbished so..Long live the Cornish Pasty!

#64 - Connie - 09/07/2008 - 10:34

Dear Connie,
Just after I sent my comments to you earlier this morning, I know think you might have already and indirectly gone a long way in answering my question regarding the conditions that are considered necessary to support the 'authenticity' of a Cornish Pasty.
I refer to your information regarding the Chough Bakery in Padstow and their attempt to trade mark the 'Cornish Pasty' you posted on 08/18/2008.
This appears to be a very interesting development and I would love to read your and other's comments on this topic.

Many kind thanks again for a great comprehensive, informative and interactive site.

Best regards.

#63 - Jimboy - 09/06/2008 - 03:14

Hi,
I live in South Africa and recently I've had many discussions regarding Cornish Pasties and pasty recipes with friends here.
Only last week, I gave them my rough idea of what a basic Cornish pasty recipe is from what I vaguely remember. In this regard, I thank you for your detailed recipe web page and I will certainly forward this on to them as I consider it to be a classic and dare I suggest,'authentic' Cornish Pasty recipe. It looks to be very much in line with the recipe my old Gran and Mum used to make their great tasting pasties in Plymouth, Bristol and Southampton when living in those parts many years ago.
By the way, when I was Somerset - just a few years ago, I bought a couple of hot pasties from a popular bakery in the main shopping area of Welles. I'm open to correction, but I think the bakery was 'The Cornish Pasty Company' and I must say that their pasties were very good.
One problem we have here in South Africa and to the best of my knowledge is the fact that swede is hard to obtain - if at all. Because of this, some folks here use ripened white turnip or carrot as a substitute for swede. The result is ok, but it's not the same. Others here also make them with just the beef, potato & onion filling.
Finally and a lighter note, I have a question: Is a Cornish Pasty considered by some as 'authentic' if it is only made and eaten in Cornwall by Cornish people?
Perhaps there are others out there would like to comment on this.
I would be grateful to read any opinions and views on this etc.
Many thanks.

#62 - Jimboy - 09/06/2008 - 02:27

That is so interesting Norma.The cornish have always been very adventurous.I had relatives who went off to work in diamond mines in South Africa.
I reconise the use of the word chip because that's what we used to say in the family. like you we never chopped or sliced we always chipped!

#61 - Connie - 09/04/2008 - 11:56

My grandparents came to the US with their parents from Cornwall and lived in Pennsylvania until they moved to the Upper Penninsula in Michigan. My greatgrandfather was the first captain of the Ropes Gold Mine.
My mother made pasties all the time, she learned from her grandmother. Mom used "flank steak" which used to be cheap to use. It stays tender and is not fatty. The only other thing she insisted on was that the potatoes be "chipped" not chopped. She also added parsley and since we didn't care for turnip or swede, she substituted carrots. Love pasties. thanks for the recipe.

#60 - Norma - 09/03/2008 - 06:03

I'm so glad that so many of you are interested in the pasty. there is some good news on that front.The Chough Bakery in Padstow is trying to trade mark the Cornish Pasty so that only pasties made in Cornwall from fresh ingredients can actually be called Cornish Pasties.

#59 - Connie, - 08/18/2008 - 12:23

Hello John! Fancy you living "up Poldrea" as we always used to say.We lived in Belmont Street and I went to school in the village until I was 14 and then went to work in Fowey.Do you have any memeories of the pasties, cream and fish? How do you like Canada?

#58 - Connie - 08/18/2008 - 12:20

Hello connie I have just been reading some of the comments. Although I now live in Canada I was born in Tywardreath I lived at#3 Poldrea. I went to School in Fowey.

#57 - John Goyen - 08/16/2008 - 11:58

Hi Connie.
My paternal grandfather came from Co. Cork and worked in the copper mines in Butte, Montana. He and my dad talked about eating the pasties in the mines. My dad would make them when we were kids.

In baking, I was always intimidated by rolling out the dough as the results always seemed happenstance and I didn't know why some crust turned out great, and other crusts didn't.

Your recipe makes it all work out. Today, at 56 yrs. old I made my first consistently good pasties. My two teenagers liked them very much as did my wife who ate two this evening. One of my daughter's friends exclaimed, after eating one from your recipe, that it was better than her mother's pasties.

Best Wishes to you and yours.

Jim Mahoney
Spokane, WA

#56 - Jim Mahoney - 08/03/2008 - 01:24

Wow what can i say, i decided to treat my wife to some nice traditional home cooking. I normally make mexican food but i thought nope i will do something original and pure English. Now we both love cornwall and when ever we come down my wife loves a good cornish pasty. So i really appreciate your recipe i made them exactly how you have and they turned out fantastic.. My wife was over the moon and i was loved !!! haha

Thank you very much
Best wishes and happy long health
Steve

#55 - Steve E - 07/11/2008 - 12:08

Hello, thanks for the pasty recipe. It is so neat for me to see this recipe and recognize it as the same exact ingredients that my family has made for generations, down to the rutabaga!

#54 - Michele McNett - 07/04/2008 - 20:42

Connie

I have made your recipe many, many times and every time they have hit the spot. I make them with half Beef dripping and half butter.
My neighbor is passionate about the "Authentic" Pasty and has been singing their praises for years - insisting NO CARROTS EVER!
He grew up in Plymouth and Cornwall - Now living in Suffolk, for him your pasties come closest to ones his mother made.
I have tried them out on young and old - Everybody who has tasted them has shared their magic and been totally won over - Thank You !

#53 - Ashen Kitchen - 07/04/2008 - 10:15

I've only made pastry where the directions were to cut the butter into the flour until crumbly. Is that the same idea as rubbing the flour into the butter? I'm really excited to try the recipe and didn't want to mess it up right from the start!

#52 - Amelia - 06/16/2008 - 13:12

hi connie thank you so much for sharing your recipe and really thankyou for the step by step pictures makes life easy for people like me ,tomorrow i am going to make your pastys thank you so much my children love pastys.

#51 - ollie - 06/15/2008 - 07:38

My ancestors emigrated from Cornwall to the mines in Grass Valley, CA in the 1800's. Our family pasty recipe uses grated potatoes and no turnips, but is otherwise similar to this. It's wonderful to read about all the other traditions! Thank you for sharing your recipe with us.

#50 - Kristen - 06/09/2008 - 13:32

Hi Connie, I'm going to try your recipe next time I make pasties, I have just made some with a similar recipe but didn't know about the flour to make the gravy, mine were just moist meat and vege bits. I have small children so also made little ones using a saucer, they are easier for them to hold in their hands. Kids love them as something different to 'same old meat pies' Great site!!! Louise.

#49 - Louise, Australia - 05/18/2008 - 22:23

My family originate from Perranporth, and i was always led to believe that a true cornish pasty is made from lamb - usually scrag end, as in cornwall there are many more sheep than cows - the land does not sustain good grazing.
There are also various recipes that invovle putting fruit etc in the pastry, so when the miners ate thier lunch, they started off with the meat and veg and ate along the pasty to thier pudding! I was also lead to believe that the crust was thrown away as it was used to hold the pasty, and therefore got contaminated.

#48 - Mick Hansford - 05/15/2008 - 02:23

Thankyou all so much for your wonderful comments about Cornish Pasties and all your experiences and memories. to think that pasties even inspire poetry! I think it is wonderful that something as humble as a pasty can bring so many people together,
Best wishes,
Connie xx

#47 - Connie - 05/04/2008 - 03:41

Dear Connie,

I am an American resident of Mexico and on a recent trip discovered Cornish Pasties well established in the old mining town of Real del Monte, State of Hidalgo. Cornish miners worked there in the 19th. century and introduced not only pasties, but football, now Mexico's grand sports passion.
The pasties have spread too, and I often buy them in the bus station in Mexico City. After surviving for so long in Mexico it is difficult to find the original version as they have gradually acquired a true Mexican flavor, ie. lots of hot chili. You can find them made with mole, picadillo, frijoles, etc.
If you would like more information, please let me know.

Jerry Davis
#0 -

#46 - Jerry Davis - 05/04/2008 - 03:36

A cousin of mine wrote a poem after watching his mother making pasties so that he could remember for later in life. This was in Hayle, Cornwall.

PS - Like the site!

#45 - Keith - 04/13/2008 - 17:01

I really am so glad that you are all enjoying the Cornish Pasty recipe and having fun making the pasties. It is lovely to think that the recipe is bringing back memories for so many of you.
I still make my pasties and I do love eating them and so does the family!!
Love and best wishes,
Connie xxx

#44 - connie - 04/12/2008 - 11:57

Hi Connie,
I was very excited to find your recipe for Cornish Pasty. It was one of the first things I learnt to make in cookery class years ago! I have since grown up! and moved to Auckland New Zealand and cannot wait to make them for my daughter who is a first generation NZ'er and thinks her mum is a bit quaint to say the least. I am always on the lookout for "English Recipes" from my childhood and have heaps of english cookery books but not one contains "Cornish Pasties" I remember long summer holidays in Cornwall as a child and so making these delicacies will evoke the tastes as well as the memories. Thanks very much - the pictures will help me remember how to make them.

Regards, Jo J, Auckland, New Zealand

#43 - Jo J - 03/31/2008 - 19:12

Thanks for your infomation. It is the same as the way my mother used to make them and it's very similar to the way we used to make them. Now we cut corners because I'm a cornishman and my working wife is Italian and we live in Melbourne Australia and we buy shortcrust pastry which comes in squares and we finish up with rectangle pastys! They taste very nice though.

#42 - Denver - 03/23/2008 - 00:10

Memories in Camborne of an old cast iron stove (the black leaded type) in the kitchen, full of pasties on greaseproof paper on thin iron shelves in the oven, each pasties contents being slightly different and each marked on top with a distinguishing mark for identification purposes. The smell of pasties cooking penetrating all corners of the house and parts of the garden too if the back door was open.

The mining fraternity in Cornwall in the nineteenth century were usually pretty poor and their pasties often contained mutton rather than the more expensive beef.

It was said that a proper pasty was 'one that mother made' and 'twouldn't scat to lembs** if you dropped un down the shaft' (** break into little pieces)

As I understand it, the main reason for the crimping was that the miners often came across !@#$%nic adjacent to tin lodes and often got it on their hands so they ate the pasty by holding the crimping and then threw away the crimping. Probably weren't no rats down them mines !

Many Cornish miners ended up in Michigan and Australia. It was said that, if there was a hole in the ground, you would probably find a Cornishman in it.

Incidentally, I have just made three pasties and put them in plastic bags straight into the freezer. They look ansom !

#41 - Geoff - 03/20/2008 - 14:00

Thankyou going to the effort to print up this recipe and to include the handy photos at strategic points, it made it much easier to memorise.

My mother in law makes them and she is from Cornwall, I couldn't remeber the recipe but I remberered the taste.

Best regards,
Gareth

#40 - Gareth - 01/16/2008 - 09:05

At last I have succeeded in making a proper pasty!
After spending my late teens working for warren's in Penzance I crimped many a pasty but never knew how to make one; especially the pastry!
Now living in Edinburgh I have treated myself and others to a feast!
Thanks for your recipe, I found that a mix of 2/3 lard to 1/3 marge works best!

#39 - stephen corrall - 12/20/2007 - 11:19

I was doing a report on Great Britian for my accelerated class and I decided to make Cornish pasties. Although there are only a few people that are in the class with me, they LOVED it! Thanks for the recipe!

#38 - Brittany - 12/18/2007 - 15:02

As a child I loved Cornish pasties, in spite of being a Devonian! As an expat working abroad in Russia I found time to occupy myself by cooking dishes that I remembered as a child. This is far superior to shop pasties, the pastry is beautiful and I've even made pasties with offal - don't mock it until you've tried it! Thanks again for this wonderful recipe.

#37 - Cooperman - 12/02/2007 - 18:52

I'm not Cornish but wanted to make a genuine Cornish Pasty. I trawled thru' a lot of recipes on-line before I decided to go for yours. It's tasty and reminded me of the Pasties my Husband and I had when we took our children to Cornwall many moons ago. I shall be making these pasties again as they are not only very filling but also very tasty. I have book marked this cite as I'm looking forward to trying many more Cornish recipes. Thanks for the recipe, Maria I.O.W

#36 - maria - 11/23/2007 - 06:24

Hello again Connie,

I made the pasties last night - tasted just like my gran used to make - and the crimping must be in my genes, as it felt natural!!

Thank you for the recipe,
Zo�

#35 - Zoe - 11/01/2007 - 07:48

Dear Connie,

Having tried to get an Ivor Dewdney at lunch time - unsuccessfully - I am going to go home & use your recipe. I am a Cornish Lass myself, but unfortunately, my gran hasn't been able to pass the recipe on to me, so I have never learned! A sorry excuse - which is about to be rectified! Will let you know how I get on!!

#34 - zoe - 10/31/2007 - 08:07

Hi Mary,
I'm really glad that you enjoyed the pasties.
As far as I can make out a rich biscuit dough is made with milk rather than water. Sometimes cornish pasties are made with a richer flaky pastry.

#33 - Connie - 10/30/2007 - 15:01

Dear Connie,

My Grandmother used to make Pasty's when my Dad was a boy. As an adult he would go to her house and beg for her to make them. I don't know where she got her recipe and I never had her recipe. All she ever told me was to use a "rich biscuit dough" for them. I never tried making them until last night after I saw your web site. My husband and I (both in our 70's) enjoyed them so much that they will become a regular treat in our house.

My Grandmother was an Encell and I believe her forebears were glass blowers in Wales. Maybe that's where her recipe came from.

I enjoyed your photos and it made it easy for me to make your Pastys.

I live in North Carolina where nobody has ever heard of them.

Again, Thanks.

#32 - Mary Pope - 10/30/2007 - 09:07

How lovely to hear from you. I actually grew up in Tywardreath and my mother lived there all her life! I think that every family had their own favourite recipe based on previous generations' taste and maybe availability of ingredients. I've got recipes for fish,rabbit and egg pasties but we never made them. I know that a lot of people just don't like swede!

#31 - Connie - 10/28/2007 - 05:53

My dad's favourite meal, which he taught me to make as a child.
It's funny - my husband suggested adding some swede to my pasties, and I resisted making any changes to the recipe that had been passed down to me - now I find out it's traditional!
My great grandparents left Tywardreath in 1868 - their version is not too different though. It contains sliced potatoes and onions and strips of beef and is made/baked two at a time in a pie tin (GGrandma's father did mine in Devon for a few years - maybe that's where the variations came from)

Many thanks!

#30 - Wendy in NC, USA - 10/27/2007 - 21:00

Yes it is possible to make pastry from the following. Just mix to a dough the following.
1cup flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1 large egg
a little salt, diet permitting.

#29 - Mary - 10/14/2007 - 09:21

I AM ON A LOW FAT DIET. IS THERE A WAY I COULD MAKE PASTIES USING EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL?

THANKS

#28 - NATHAN CLARK, KENTUCKY, USA - 10/14/2007 - 03:58

Hi Connie,

loved your pictures....and who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks...I've been making pasties for 60 years...from Upper Michigan (big pasty country)..plus an English step grandmother...Don't use turnips only new potatos w/skin,steak, onion, chopped parsley...but never used the rolling pin to hold up other half of the crust...tried it yesterday, and it worked beautifully....my son's request for a Christmas present last year was to teach him, and my 2 grandaughters how to make pasties....this will make it so much easier to teach...my only other variation from yours is to add the butter thru the slits, when I take them out of the oven, and leave them covered for about 5 minutes with a tea towel.....

#27 - adele - 10/07/2007 - 19:18

Just had "my" cornish pasties for our evening meal and thought I would look up a cornish recipe. As my Grandfather, William Chenoweth came to Australia from Gunwalloe in 1890, the Cornish Pasty has always been a favourite with our family. The family recipe finely dices potato, onion, swede and beef, sprinkles with a good serving of worstershire sauce and placed in the pastry. I have never had anyone refuse a Cornish Pasty, they always want more.
Thanks for your recipe.

#26 - Dell Ashcroft - 10/06/2007 - 06:14

heyy peepz...x

wassup ... ?

we love r traditional cornish pastys
THEY ROCK R SOCKS !!!!!

#25 - ceri morgan and beth penrose - 09/28/2007 - 02:52

Hello everyone,
I am so glad that you are all enjoying the pasties and all the wonderful memories that they evoke. It is lovely to think of people all over the world united by the shared experience of their cornish roots.
I would love to see any photos of old Cornwall you may have and share any of your cornish anecdotes.
Very Best Wishes,
Connie.

#24 - Connie - 09/22/2007 - 05:56

my grandfather George Woodland from Selsy UK made pasties, until now I have never been able to make them as he did. Thank you, Connie they are great, regards from Melbourne Australia

#23 - Olive Robbins - 09/21/2007 - 01:11

My Grandfather, Albert Kitchener Caldon
was from Cornwall, England and this was and still is a family favorite!!

Sincerely,
Shari L. Caldon
Aiken, South Carolina
United States of America

#22 - Shari Caldon - 09/13/2007 - 09:00

Dear Doug,

thankyou for your comment. Did you mean seasoned pudding which is basically a suet pudding filled with steak and kidney or did the pudding that you remeber have a different sort of filling? Let me know and I'll see if I can find a recipe.

Best Wishes,

Connie

#21 - Connie - 08/31/2007 - 14:04

Dear Jane,

thanks for your comment and I hope that you enjoy making the pasties. You can freeze the pasties but I have only ever done so once they have been fully cooked.

Best Wishes,

Connie

#20 - Connie - 08/31/2007 - 14:03

I was brought up on Cornish pasties, your recipe is great.
You don't happen to have one for Steam Pudding - my mother used to make it and it was so good.

Doug

#19 - Doug P - 08/26/2007 - 18:38

Hi Connie,

first thankyou for sharing your recipe - I have wonderful memories of homemade 'Tiddy Oggies' from my holidays down there as a child, and am looking forward to making some myself.

I love to batch bake though - and wondered if you can freeze these, and if so, do I have to cook them first?

Thanks, Jane (Lancashire)

#18 - Jane - 08/23/2007 - 09:30

I live in Seattle now (since August 2000) but still make pasties when I get homesick. I was asked to give a favourite recipe at the office and found your site. Thanks so much for the photo's, they really help illustrate the recipe!
Regards, Chrissy L, Seattle, Washington

#17 - Chrissy - 08/07/2007 - 10:11

I'm really glad that you enjoyed making the pasties. The horseradish sounds like a good idea - I might try it myself. You can put just about anything into pasties so keep experimenting!
Have a lovely school holiday,
Best wishes from Connie.

#16 - Connie - 08/03/2007 - 10:48

Dear Connie,
This morning, we were looking into recipes we could make for supper. We suddenly were inspired to make cornish pasties. We were very enthusiastic about this project since all four of us lived in Cornwall a few years ago. We are currently 14 and 17 years old and are not residents anymore. Our time in Cornwall was quite pleasent and this dish is one of our best memories. Searching on the internet we found your recipe , bought the ingredients quite quickly and executed your fabulous recipe. It was actually not as hard as we imagined and the result was marvellous. We thank you so much. You may be scandilized to hear that we substituted swede for horseraddish, but the thing is we are currently visiting France and it was impossible to find swede at the local Super U. Thank you again, we greatly appreciated all of your help throughout this procedure.
Cheers,
Emilie and Elisabeth: Canada
Lucy and Elsa: Devon
XX XX XX

#15 - Emilie,Elsa,Lucy and Elisabeth - 08/02/2007 - 11:51

This is a wonderful recipe. My grampa came from Cornwall in 1906. I learned these pasties from my gramma. She made them for years to sell at GM plants in Flint Michigan. So glad to see the crimping----I am so BAD at it---but yours look great. One thing's different---we always mix all the ingredients--(guts)---together. Thanks alot.

#14 - Marcia Eddy - 07/23/2007 - 16:37

Thank you for your recipe. Waldport, Oregon

#13 - Ted Hunt - 07/21/2007 - 10:57

In OUR Treloar family recipe, the raw potatoes are sliced 1/4" thick and placed down first onto the pastry. The potato aborbs all the juices and therefore keeps the base of pastie dry. The raw topside meat,onions and turnips S&P a little chopped bacon fat and a sprinkle of Plain flour are placed on top.
The pasties were originally made the width
of a miners shirt pocket in which he would place the pastie ready for " smoko ". For a two course meal he would eat the other end which would be filled with apple or raisins as a sweet treat.

#12 - Margaret Treloar Aust - 07/21/2007 - 05:40

Another bit of pasty folklore- the thick crust made by the crimped edge of the pasty was used by the grime encrusteed tin miners as a handle to avoid eating to much dirt and then donated to the 'Knockers' or spirits of old miners.

#11 - Martin C - 07/05/2007 - 04:41

Much Thanks. Wonderful recipe, the instructions are faultless. And the results were spectacular. What a treat. I can't wait to have my grandchildren over and show them how to make a pasty.

#10 - Jerry K - 06/27/2007 - 11:49

My husband, myself and our daughters lived in Cambridgeshire County for 4 years (and times wish we were still there). Our oldest daughter has wanted a Cornish Pasty recipe for such a long time and I just wasn't happy with any that I had found until now. Thank you so very much from America...we miss that part of the world so very much...and this will help bring back alot of memories for us. Thank you again.

#9 - Maggie R. - 06/24/2007 - 22:32

Absolutely delicious. Worked a treat.

Thank and bless you, Connie.

#8 - Stephen Stokoe - 06/22/2007 - 11:57

I�m a good old traditional english man living in Denmark, I have made a few pasties from this recipe, the Danes love them, and I love to make them some traditional english food. so Tak (thanks) from this end.

#7 - Antony Billingham - 06/22/2007 - 07:45

They do say that the cornish will put anything into a pasty! In the past many other fillings have been used such as fish, rabbit, chicken etc and as you say there were even double-ended ones, savoury at one end and sweet at the other (jam or any fruit could be used). There are similar traditional "packed lunches"in other areas for example,the Bedfordshire Clanger, a suet roll with savoury mince in one end and jam or fruit in the other.

#6 - Jon - 06/15/2007 - 09:05

My mum whose name is Carhart and from Cornwall said a Cornish pasty had two fillings One end of the pasty with meat, the other with apple so the miners would have a full meal.

#5 - Jennifer Hawkins - 06/14/2007 - 02:10

thankyou for recipe. ive just made them and they are great. thanx again

#4 - pipsy - 06/03/2007 - 06:22

I first heard of the Cornish Pasty when I was in my early teen years, but didn't try one untill I met my current wife, a first generation Canadian born to British parents. She got me hooked, and since then, every time we visit a bakery I diligently look for pasties. We are headed to Britain this summer, and I will no doubt scour the country in search of the perfect pasty, but untill then thank you for posting your recipe (and the small history lesson that accompanies). This my be just enough to get me through!

#3 - Joel - 05/04/2007 - 09:39

Hi,
Thanks for that recipe and the steps that you use it has helped and i came from devon, and now live in Australia and they have never herd of pasties so i have to show them.

thanks once again.

#2 - Thomas - 05/04/2007 - 09:37

My Grandparents heralded from Cornwall and i have a passion in the blood for the pasties, so many thanks for what is a great recipe, i look forward to many great Pasties being created at last by my hands
Regards Mick H

#1 - Mick - 04/23/2007 - 10:00

Hey,

just wanted to say thanks for the pasty recipe! I have visited Cornwall a couple of times and fell in love with the pasty while there. ;-) I'm looking forward to trying your recipe asap!
Regards, John M, Ontario

#0 - John M - 04/14/2007 - 14:07


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