Tarts and Pies

I have always loved pies and tarts, sweet and savoury pastries – ever since that classic of my youth, bacon and egg pie, was transformed as if by magic into the 1970s classic, Quiche Lorraine (without much alteration in most cases). I often used to enjoy Scotch pies or Forfar bridies, their perfectly crusty (never hard) outers containing the warm, meaty, gravy-moistened fillings. I have since happily rolled out many a pastry case before filling, then baking and allowing to cool for just long enough, before scoffing with indecent haste. And Border Tart and all its close cousins – Eyemouth and Ecclefechan to name but two – I enjoyed as a child and now still adore both baking and eating. These, just like bridies and Scotch pies, were part of my childhood.