Bedfordshire Clangers

I first learned about these pies when my husband and I were watching a British tv show. The Bedfordshire Clanger is a hand held pastry made in the 19th century England for Farm Laborers. Traditional they were made with a suet pastry and have one end filled with a savory filling and the other with a sweet jam one. So the two filling don’t mix there is a pastry wall blocking any flavours from mixing.

The name may réfère to its dense consistency. 19th century English Dialect recorded the phrase « Clung Dumplings » from Bedfordshire, citing clanging is an adjective meaning heavy.

I made a flakey pastry for the base of my Clanger and filled it with 1/3 sweet apple filling and for the savoury side is sausage and leak.

This recipe makes 10 Clangers.

For the Pie Pastry

- 2 3/4 cup Flour
- 1/2 lb Shortening
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 TBSP Vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- Pastry Cutter
- Rolling Pin


For the Savoury Filling

- 3 Sausages - Any flavour . I used Bratwurst.
- Butter
- 1 Leek 1/3 green part, all of the white part chopped
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- 1/2 TBSP Dried Sage Leaves
- 1 tsp Dried Rosemary
- Pepper
- Kosher Salt
- 1/2 cup Chicken Stock
- 1/2 cup Apple juice


For the Sweet Filling

- 3 Apples peeled, cored and diced
- 25g Brown Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
- Pinch of Kosher Salt
- 1 TBSP Water
- 1 Vanilla Bean - open and scraped

- For this section you will need flour, salt, egg, shortening and vinegar.
- In a large bowl, combine flour and salt, stir.
- Add the shortening.
- Using a Pastry cutter or two forks, cut in the shortening until it looks resembles peas like shapes.
- Using a small glass measure and the egg and vinegar, beat well with a fork.
- Add enough cold water to equal 1 cup.
- Add small amounts of liquid to the flour mixture stirring with the fork until a soft dough comes together.
- Using your hands kneed the dough into a ball.
- Divide the dough into two smaller balls.
- Wrap the balls in Saran Wrap or Cling film.
- Chill the dough for a minimum of 30 minutes before using.

- Preheat your oven to 375*.
- Using your kitchen scissors, cut each sausage casting length wise like a hotdog.
- Time to get messy, using your hands pull out the sausage meat removing the casting.
- Place the sausage meat onto a plate.

- For this section you will need the meat from 3 sausages, zest of one lemon, 1/2 cup chicken stock, 1/2 apple juice, 1 leek, dried rosemary, dried sage, pepper, kosher salt and butter.
- On medium heat place about 1 TBSP of butter into a large saucepan.
- Allow the butter to melt before placing the sausage into the pan.
- Cook for several minutes before seasoning with the dried herbs, salt and pepper.
- Cook until the meat is no longer pink.
- Add the leeks. Cook until soft.
- Add the zest of one lemon, cook for 2 minutes.
- Add your chicken broth and your apple juice.
- Stir well
- Cook until the liquid reduces, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to rest while you work on the sweet filling.

- For this section you will need 3 apples peeled and diced, vanilla bean, brown sugar, water, cinnamon, salt and butter.
- On medium heat place about 1 TBSP of butter into a large saucepan.
- Allow the butter to melt before placing the apples into the pan.
- Cook the apples for several minutes before adding the cinnamon and pinch of salt.
- Stir well.
- Add the TBSP of water, cook for several minutes.
- Time to scrape your vanilla bean - using a small pairing knife, slice the bean in half.
- Open the bean and scrape it out using the tip of the knife.
- Place the black paste onto the apples and stir well.
- Don’t worry if you see little black specs, they are the vanilla bean.
- Cook the apples until semi soft.
- Remove from the heat and allow to rest.

- Place your savoury and sweet filling in two different bowls.
- Take your pastry out of the fridge.
- Lightly dust your surface with flour before rolling out your pastry with your rolling pin.
- Roll out each Clanger so it is a 10 x 5 inches rectangle.
- Getting a small piece of dough, roll it between your hands into a log.
- Set aside.
- Using a pastry brush, brush a little bit of water on 1/3 of the rectangle.
- Place the dough that you just rolled into a log onto the wet surface. Pinch down the sides of the pastry log.
- Place the sweet filling on the 1/3 of the rectangle.
- Filling the other side with the savoury filling.
- Using a pastry brush, place water along the edges of the Clanger.
- Taking one side of the Clanger, fold the pastry over pressing down the edge.
- Ensure that all the edges along the Clanger are secure.
- Using a small pairing knife, make 5 or 6 small slits.
- Place parchment paper on top of a baking sheet.
- Place Clangers onto the parchment paper.
- Depending on the size of your sheet, you may only get 3 or 4 pies per sheet.
- Remember not to crowd the Clangers.

- Place your Clangers into your warm oven.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes.
- When they are done baking, remove from baking sheet and place onto a cooling rack.

- The Clangers are best served warm.
- You can reheat them in the oven or microwave.
- Refrigerate left over Clangers.
- Enjoy this unique pie!