The Realms of Talithia

Reflections

musings on writing and all things medieval

Winterfest 2023: Recipe for Norse Pies

Winterfest [is] a special time for us. We have other celebrations, all the holidays and traditions we share with your world, but... Winterfest is our own. It's a time to remember the past. Dream of the future. — Vincent

I do not own this video!

Winterfest in the real world is the annual celebration of the 1980's tv show, Beauty and the Beast, by and for its fans. The name is taken from the episode, "Dead of Winter." I fell in love with this show when it first aired, and have loved it ever since. The stories and characters helped me through a difficult time in my life, and they continue to help me still. The ideals of the world Below inspired my own writing in the shape of the forest Erens.

Until recently, I didn't know Winterfest was real, and I’m excited to be participating! I hope I'll have time to contribute other offerings, but since recreating authentic medieval recipes is something I do, I thought that if I could only contribute one thing, it should be a recipe.

Norse Pies is a warm and tasty, simple chicken and cheese pie from 14th-century medieval France, and it seems like something that might be part of the world Below.

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Norse Pies

Ingredients

1 cooked chicken breast
1/3 cup pine nuts
olive oil
1/2 cup currants (or diced figs)
1/2 cup finely ground or grated cheese, such as Havarti or Gruyère
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Chicken broth (optional)
Piecrust dough, for 1 crust

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Mince the cooked chicken with a knife or pulse in a food processor and set aside.
In the food processor, blend the pine nuts with enough olive oil to make a paste-like consistency.
In a medium bowl, combine the pine nut paste, currants or figs, cheese, sugar, and salt. Add minced chicken and stir until well combined. If the filling seems dry, add a little chicken broth just to moisten.

Assemble your pie(s) as directed below, depending on the type that you want.

To make full-circle pies, roll out two disks of dough. Place some filling in the middle of one disk, add the second disk on top and seal the edges. You can divide the dough in half and make one, large full-circle pie, or divide the dough in quarters and make two smaller pies.

To make half-circle pies, roll out a single disk of dough. Add some filling to the middle, fold the dough in half over the filling and crimp the edges to seal. You can use all the dough at once and roll out a single, large disk of dough to make a large, half-circle pie, or you can divide the dough in half or in quarters to make smaller half-circle pies.

Place your pie(s) on your parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. If you bake all the filling in a single pie, you may need to increase the baking time.

Serve hot and enjoy!