Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add the salt and stir it in. Add the shortening & butter and rub both into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in the middle and add the water. Incorporate the flour and stir until it starts to form a ball. Get your hands in (it’s gonna get messy) and then remove to a lightly floured surface & start to knead. You need to knead until elastic.

This is to ensure it can hold the filling and keep a good shape. It might take a while but stick with it. Once this is done, wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge for around 2 to 3 hours.

In a large pan heat the oil on low heat. Add the mince and onions and gently heat this through to brown the mince off and soften the onions. Add the peppers and garlic and let those soften up a bit, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the kidney beans, sweetcorn and tomatoes and, again, let those cook down. Give it about 5 minutes. We just want to let those tomatoes start to soften and begin to break down a bit. Sprinkle over the chilli powder and give it all a good stir through. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes and then break up the chocolate and add it into the pot. This will melt into the chilli. Give it a good stir so that it combines in with the other ingredients well.

Season everything with salt and pepper. Keep it on a low heat and just let it simmer away, giving it a stir now and then. You want the peppers to have softened nicely, the tomatoes to have broken down completely and all the juices from the different elements to have combined to get the flavours just right.

Pre-heat your oven to 170 C / Gas 3-4. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper

Roll out your pastry to about 3mm thickness. You can use a side plate as a rough guide for size (around a 20cm circle for each pasty). Put a good dollop of the chilli across the centre of the circle. Leave enough room to fold over the pastry to cover it and form the pasty. Next, put 1 to 2 teaspoons creme fraiche on top of the chilli and sprinkle some Cheddar cheese over it (optional).

With some cold water wet half of the edge of one half of the pastry and fold over the other half. Gently press it down so that it seals and then “crimp” the pasty.

Put each pasty on the baking tray, leaving a space of about 5cm between each one, and brush over with beaten egg.

Pop in the oven and bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Once baked either put on a wire rack to cool and eat cold or serve hot – your choice.

These can be frozen or they can be kept in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.