Mushroom and goats cheese mini filo pies

Cut the mushrooms into small pieces. Finely chop the garlic

Heat the oil in a pan, then fry the garlic for a few seconds and add the mushrooms & thyme leaves. Put a lid on and gently sauté for 10 minutes. Take the lid off and reduce the liquid completely. Let it cool.

When you’re ready to bake, turn on the oven, set to 180°C. Lightly grease a muffin or scone tin.

Add the cayenne or nutmeg and the parsley to the mushrooms.

Put 3 filo sheets on top of each other and cut them into 10 x10 cm squares. Cover them with a towel.

Lay a filo square on a chopping board, brush it with oil, then layer another square on top, slightly turned. Brush this also with oil, then layer another square on top, again angled. Put this shape into one of the tin holes, slightly pushing it down with your fingers.

Repeat with the rest of the filo squares until you get about 6 baskets.

Spoon the mushroom mixture into the baskets then top with crumbled goat’s cheese. You can add seasonal ingredients too, if you like – such as a couple of pine nuts, walnuts or cranberries, grilled pepper, sundried tomato bits etc.

Fold in the overhanging pastry, scrunching it to create a textured finish. Fill any gaps on the top with scrunched pastry, using the remaining filo sheet. Brush the top with oil or melted butter.

Bake for 10-15 minutes in the middle of the oven until golden, then let them cool in the tin. Remove the mini pies with a spoon to a plate. If they are not cooked properly underneath, put them on a baking tray (turned over) and bake them for another 5 minutes or so.

Serve them warm with salad, or let them cool and serve as nibbles.