Notes

• Soft-boiled eggs –Slide room-temperature eggs into a saucepan of boiling water and set a timer for 8 minutes. Remove eggs from the pan and plunge into cold water for 10 minutes then peel the shells underwater,starting from the base. Refrigerating the eggs so the yolks are chilled all the way through ensures the yolks don’t overcook inside the pies.
• Puff pastry –frozen puff pastry sheets come in 25cm squares. Cut each square in half then trim the end so it’s 22cm long. You only need five pieces so return the sixth piece to the freezer for another use.
• Ricotta –Not all ricotta is created equal! Ricotta sold in vacuum-packed baskets or cut from a larger round at the deli counter is generally better quality than ricotta sold in plastic tubs (which tends to be powdery). Also,do not buy creamy or spreadable ricotta,which is too wet.