Inspired by Angelina Ballerina

I always loved Angelina Ballerina.

Long before the days that she would prance across television screens or become a brand, she was that dear little, slightly plump mouse, with sweet little mousey toes, who adored dancing so much that the yearning to learn ballet was affecting everything she did and getting her into all sorts of trouble for daydreaming and clumsiness. 

Within the well-thumbed pages of my book, she twirled and leapt through her house and through life. One of my favourite pages is the one where Angelina spins through the kitchen and knocks a plate of her Mother's best cheddar cheese pies to the floor. Mrs Mouseling was obviously very irked, and something would just have to be done about Angelina.

Mum and I read this together countless times, and its familiarity was a delicious comfort, along with all the other books about Angelina. Long after I was a confident reader, Mum and Dad would still read to me at bedtime. Being read to is one of the most devoted acts in families. I love it when Andy reads to me now, and I know Dad still delights in reading to Mum. It is not an age-related benefit. So, Angelina was read to me often and over a long time span. 


As a young girl who loved pink tutus and ribbons for a while, these books delighted me, but they were so much more than just girly books about ballet. Katharine Holabird's illustrations are so detailed and beautifully homely. That plate of cheddar cheese pies was endlessly enticing. I always thought those little individual pies sounded amazing but til now they lived only within the covers of Angelina Ballerina. I remembered them the other day, and suddenly wanted to make them into a reality. 

There are a few options for what to add into these. Along with the basic CHEESE, milk, and eggs, you could add a bit of flour, or breadcrumbs, and maybe herbs, mustard, onion, or ham. Their texture and flavour could vary endlessly. However, the image in my head is one that looks like a mince pie, with perhaps a latticed top. When I looked back at the illustration, they were JUST as I had remembered them. The mixture inside looks wonderfully yellow and judging by the amount of cheese that Mrs Mouseling is grating, they must be superbly cheesy. Perhaps not so much an omelette or a quiche, but a bit less eggy, and not so light. 

I finally decided that I wanted something soft but slightly firm and dense, so I came up with this recipe, and I am so chuffed with the texture, the flavour and the look, so here they are for you to try. Small children and adults alike have happily munched their way through them, and they don't last long, so double up on the pastry ready to make another batch soon! 


Click here for the recipe.