HALOUMI, PEAR AND FENNEL SEED PIES

Preheat your oven to 190 deg. RICH CHEESE PASTRY. Put 2 cups of plain flour in your food processor along 1/2 tsp of salt , 200gm of chilled butter / marg and 1 and 1/2 cups of finely grated parmesan. Process until mixture looks like crumbs . Pulse in 3 tbs of chilled water until mixture forms moist balls of dough . Turn out on to a lightly floured bench and bring together. Refrigerate for 1 hour. FILLING.. Melt 3 tbs of butter/ marg in a frypan then add 3 peeled and diced pears, and cook until they are tender and golden. Add 4 tbs of castor sugar, continue to cook until it melts and begins to caramelise. Now stir in 2 tbs of fennel seeds. Remove from heat and cool. In the bowl of your electric mixer beat together 200gm of crème fraiche, 2 lightly beaten egg yolks, the grated rind of 1 lemon, until smooth. Stir in the pears and any cooking juices along with 200gm of diced Haloumi cheese. Roll out the pastry and line 4 X 14 cm flan tins that have been sprayed with cooking oil and lightly sprinkled with fine polenta . Divide an equal amount of filling between each pastry lined flan . Using the remaining pastry, cut out 4 rounds to cover the top of the pies,press edges together firmly to seal. Bake in the well preheated oven for 30 minutes or until well browned. Serve pies warm , with sprinkle of finely grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.