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Veggie Haggis & Apple Bedfordshire Clangers

A vegetarian/vegan version of a Bedfordshire Clanger. It's a flaky pastry bake that looks like a fat sausage roll. Once end contains a savoury filling and the other a sweet filling.

Veggie haggis & apple Bedfordshire clangers cut into to how the savoury and sweet fillings

BEDFORDSHIRE CLANGERS


Have you heard of them ? 

No? I'd never heard of them before last week.

I've been following the Great British Bake Off  (did you see my roast vegetable, pasta and cream cheese pizza for Italian week and my dark chocolate magic pudding for pudding week?) and they tie in with this week's theme.

At the end of each week the next week's challenge is previewed.

This week the theme is forgotten bakes or shall we say old fashioned bakes. like these Bedfordshire clangers.



Veggie haggis & apple Bedfordshire clangers, a near forgotten pastry farm workers would take into the field for lunch/ Main course and dessert in one pastry.


WHAT ARE BEDFORDSHIRE CLANGERS?


Bedfordshire clangers are a pastry from the English county Bedfordshire and they date back to the early 19th century.

They are a double ended pastry that encompasses both a savoury main course and a dessert.

They were originally made for farm labourers. A lunch on the go.

The suet pastry was steamed and was just a hard casing to keep their lunch contained and would protect the filling from their dirty hands. The author H.E. Bates described the clanger as "Hard as a hog's back, harder 'n prison bread".

As time went by these were baked instead of steamed and the pastry was eaten too. Until today when they resemble fat flaky pastries with that savoury filling at one end and sweet at the other.

Bedfordshire clangers are still baked in a wee bakery in Bedford called Gunns Bakery, where you can find clangers for meat eaters and vegetarians in a range of flavours.




Veggie Haggis & Apple Bedfordshire Clangers served with mango chutney for the savoury end.


VEGAN SHORTCRUST PASTRY


I decided to adapt these clangers and make them vegan.  I made a flaky shortcrust pastry using Trex vegetable fat.

I know you are speechless that I made my own pastry aren't you? 

As you know I pretty much always use ready made pastry, but this pastry is quick and easy. It only takes 15 to 20 minutes and that includes chilling time.

A fabulous pastry!


A box of TREX vegetable fat


Trex in Pastry


I used Trex to make my pastry super light and flaky.

Since I started using Trex so many people have told me how good it is in pastry and that it makes it super light and flaky. So I had to try making my own this time around.



They were right, I was really impressed and it doesn't hurt that it's lower in saturated fat than butter (you can use 20% less, they have a little calculator to work it out on the Trex website) and dairy free.


If you are looking for more vegetarian or vegan pastry recipes, check out my post 25 Awesome Puff Pastry Recipes for Vegans.




Veggie Haggis & Apple Bedfordshire Clangers on greaseproof paper


CLANGER FILLING


I gave my clangers a Scottish twist and filled three quarters of my clangers with vegetarian haggis and mustard.

I broke up the haggis in a bowl and added extra spices to give it a bit more oomph. I spread one end with mustard and topped with the haggis, then spread the other end with apricot jam and topped it with lightly cooked apple.

They were, really really good! I urge you to try them.

WHAT IS VEGETARIAN HAGGIS?


Just in case you haven't heard or vegetarian haggis or haven't tried it before I think I should explain.

The original meat-eaters haggis is a Scottish food usually made from unspeakable parts of a sheep, so we will skip right past that.

Vegetarian haggis (which is suitable for vegans) is a delicious blend of finely chopped cooked root vegetables, lentils, spices, oats and seeds.

It comes in a big fat sausage covered in a plastic coating and is ready to use in so many dishes.

I used it in my clangers, but you can also make pasties filled with haggis, mashed potato and baked beans with it, a delicious lentil nut loaf, instant burgers (the best my husband has ever tasted), beer battered haggis balls with a tempting spiced and super crispy batter, vegetarian scotch eggs, you can fill a toastie with it, adding some caramelised onion chutney or even heap it onto a baked potato.

The two main brands who make veggie haggis here in Scotland are MacSween and Simon Howie, but you can make your own too by following this recipe for vegetarian haggis by Green Gourmet Giraffe.


Make your own Easy Vegan Haggis


Yield: 4 large clangers

Veggie Haggis & Apple Bedfordshire Clangers

A forgotten bake from Bedfordshire called the Bedfordshire Clanger. It's a flaky pastry bake that looks like a fat sausage roll. Once end contains a savoury filling and the other a sweet filling, so main course and dessert in one pastry. This clanger is vegan and filled with a veggie haggis and mustard at one end and apricot jam and apples at the other.
prep time: 30 MINScook time: 20 MINStotal time: 50 mins

ingredients


  • 225g plain flour
  • a generous pinch of salt
  • 85g Trex vegetable fat
  • 4-5 tbsp cold water
  • 454g vegetarian haggis
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • a good grinding of black pepper
  • 4 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard
  • 2 Granny Smith or other crisp green apples, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 4 tsp apricot jam
  • 1 tbsp dairy free spread, melted

instructions


  1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C /gas 5. 
  2. Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the salt and blobs of the Trex. Yes that is a technical term. 
  3. Use your fingertips to rub together the flour and Trex until it resembles breadcrumbs.
  4. Pour in 4 tbsp of chilled water and cut through it with a knife until it starts to come together. Add another tbsp water if you think it needs it, then bring it together with your hands. Don't knead it or you will make it tough. Wrap it in clingfilm and pop it in the fridge while you prepare the fillings.
  5. Cook your apples in a small pan with the sugar for a few minutes until they have started to soften.
  6. Empty the haggis into a clean bowl and break it up with a knife, add the spices and pepper and mix through. 
  7. Take your pastry out of the fridge and divide it into four. Shape piece of pastry into a sausage shape then roll into a long fat rectangle. Cut a strip of pastry from the end and make a wee divider wall with it 3/4 ways up your pastry. Spread the centre of the long section with mustard and the smaller section with jam (at either side of the divide). Don't take it to the edges, leave a border. Top the mustard with the haggis and the jam with the apple, not too much though. You need to be able to wrap the pastry around the filling.
  8. Wet the edges of the pastry with water then roll the pastry over the filling and keep rolling until you have a sausage roll shape. Place the fold underneath. 
  9. Pierce the pastry with the tip of the knife to let the steam out and make a little mark or pastry shape to show where the sweet end is. I made little hearts.
  10. Place the clangers on a floured baking tray and brush with melted dairy free spread. 
  11. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and crisp. 
  12. Enjoy!
calories
537
fat (grams)
15.9
sat. fat (grams)
1.1
carbs (grams)
87.7
protein (grams)
12.6
sugar (grams)
15.4
Created using The Recipes Generator



Follow the conversation with #trex #trexbaking and #GBBO.


Disclosure: I created this recipe for Trex. I was not required to write a positive review and any of the opinions expressed are my own.

43 comments

  1. Never heard of these, but totally want to try it now!

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  2. 90% of the time I make my own pastry, it's something that I learned from my Mum. I love the vegan version of this.

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    1. I know how to make pastry, but i usually use puff pastry and I really can't be bothered making that.

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  3. Never heard of them, but then you are saying it's a forgotten bake, so that makes sense! I love vegetarian haggis, so I'm sure I'd be all over these! Yum!!

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    1. Oh well if you like veggie haggis you will love these.

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  4. ok, I've gotta start watching the Great British Bake Off! I've been hearing such good things! And this recipe sounds so fun!

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    1. It's a great programme, but then I love watching people bake. It's very soothing and inspiring.

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  5. I love finding new hand-pies! In America we would use Crisco (vegetable shortening) to make vegan shortcrust. Please keep bringing back forgotten bakes, you're keeping traditions alive.

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    1. I imagine it is very similar Trex and yes it's good to keep old traditions alive.

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  6. How funny, I've not heard of these before! Dinner and dessert in one :)

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  7. Wow, I've just learnt lots! Never heard of a Bedfordshire Clanger, didn't know you could get a veggie haggis and had no idea that trex was dairy free!
    Thanks for the heads up Jac! :D
    Jane x

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    1. Haha my job is now done Jane. I'm glad i was able to bring you tasty food and knowledge.

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  8. Well that sounds like one interesting recipe to try!

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  9. I have ever heard of clangers, and I haven't heard of Trex before either. But I love how easy it makes vegan baking.

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    1. Oh definitely, Trex is a great ingredient for vegan baking. I am totally converted.

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  10. Just the name is so quaint the name is that it begs to be made - I have heard of this sort of thing but not sure if it is this one - probably is - such a great idea (or did they do this sort of thing with pasties in cornwall too?) I'd love one of these for a work lunch though would it be annoying if you started at the wrong end?

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    1. It is really quaint, isn't it and nice to know the story too. I'm not sure if they do this in Cornwall with pasties but it's entirely possible.

      When you make these pastries you mark where the sweet end starts with a pattern or some pastry. I popped a little heart at where the sweet end started. It was the shorter end so easy to figure out.

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  11. I love your Clangers Michelle and am intrigued by Trex which I haven't seen mentioned since I was advised to use it when rolling out royal icing as it stops it sticking to your mat!

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    1. First time I have been called Michelle Camilla, but I've been called worse lol!

      That is a great tip for Trex.

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  12. I've heard of clangers before (I have a house in Northampton, not a million miles from Beds) but I've not eaten any. I love that you used veggie haggis in yours - that stuff is food of the gods!

    Your pastry looks lovely too - so light and flaky. I'm inspired to make a clanger myself now! xx

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    1. Yay! Job done. I hope you like it when you try it.

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  13. I have never heard of this before but I'm really intrigued by the savory and sweet side of the clangers. I also love the idea that the pastry is harder n' prison. LOL!

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    Replies
    1. Haha yes that made me laugh too. A rather old quote.

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  14. I had never heard of a clanger before either but they are such s good idea for the workers to take with them. My dad raves about Trex for his roast potatoes for the health benefits in place of lard,I’ve really got to try it now I know you can make pastry with it!

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  15. These have me intrigued. So good that you've come up with a vegan version.

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  16. Love the name - clangers! They sound amazing! - VA for Denise Wright

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  17. This veggie version of haggis looks so tasty!

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  18. I'd never heard of clangers until the Bake Off, I loved it when one of the contestants dropped hers on the floor and said 'Oh no I've dropped a clanger' ... brilliant.

    Yours look very tasty, what a good combination of flavours but then I love anything wrapped in pastry :-)

    I need to get back to using Trex too, so thanks for the reminder.

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    1. Haha I know, it's the kind of joke my friend Andrew would be just waiting to make.

      I hope you try the clangers and baking with Trex again.

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  19. Can't say I've heard of Bedfordshire clangers, but they look and sound amazing! Interesting that they encompass both main and dessert. I do love a bit of sweet and salty :D

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    1. Yes me too and such a handy self-contained lunch.

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  20. What a great recipe. I love the idea of the whole meal in one pastry. Love that you included our little twitter chat too.

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    1. I couldn't resist adding our conversation Janice ;)

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  21. No, I've never heard of them. But yes, I'll definitely going to try them myself. Looks so delicious!

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  22. I really want to make this. Looks so good!

    www.whoisvelouria.blogspot.com

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  23. Between you and GBBO I am really wanting a clanger! Your filling idea looks sooo good, and loving the vegan homemade pastry. I've not used Trex in many years, but may be tempted to buy some. Lovely recipe, Jac :-)

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I love reading comments, so thank you for taking the time to leave one. Unfortunately, I'm bombarded with spam, so I've turned on comment moderation. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can and respond to them. Don't panic, they will disappear when you hit publish. Jac x