Pie-crusted mushroom soup

Preheat oven to 200 &degC.
Melt butter in a large, heavy-based pan and saut&eacute onion and garlic until transparent.
Add mushrooms and cook until soft.
Sprinkle flour over them and stir for 1 minute.
Stir in stock, add thyme and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Allow to cool before processing in batches.
Return soup to the pan.
Stir in sherry and cream and pour into 4 ovenproof bowls.
Cut out 4 rounds of pastry slightly larger than the bowls (use small, deep bowls for this, rather than wide, shallow ones, or the pastry may sag into the soup).
Seal the edges of the pastry and brush lightly with beaten egg.
Bake for 15 minutes, until golden and puffed.
Serve immediately.