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I’m not a big pastry person, but sometimes I just want something small with my afternoon tea or for breakfast to get me going on a chilly autumn morning. It’s apple season, so I’ve put together a super easy, super small batch (this makes nine, which is about two to three servings worth, they keep well in a tin for a day or two and warm quickly in a hot oven) recipe made with just one crisp, new season apple, a touch of cinnamon and a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry. Autumnal breakfasting/ snacking/ lunchboxing at it’s finest (especially as they go perfectly with a small bottle/ can of Appletiser, who have again kindly sponsored this post!) Take these on as a pie-tastic weekend kitchen project, so you have a little Monday treat to look forward to!
I’m not a big apple person either (unlike my apple juice addiction which has been going strong since childhood!) but when they’re crisp and new I love having a bowlful on the kitchen table both for decoration and to grab when you’re going out the door. Actually, come to think of it these little pastries would also make a lovely dessert, served warm with either vanilla ice cream, fresh cream or crème fraîche.
One apple fills about nine pastries which is what you’ll get out of one sheet of pastry (I use the 320g sheets from Jus-roll), but with one caveat. You’ll get six round pastries out of a sheet with leftover pastry, that you then need to roll out on a floured work surface to make the final three. I know this sort of defeats the point of a pre-rolled sheet, but it is still easier than rolling out a whole block. However, if you think this is silly, you can just use a 320g lump of pre-made pastry and make pretty round pies, or you can make square or rectangle ones, which means you won’t need to re-roll your pre-rolled sheet. It’s up to you!
These easy apple and cinnamon hand pies are the perfect autumn treat. They also make a great dessert served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
Scale
1 Crisp Eating Apple, peeled and chopped into very small pieces
1/4–1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tbsp Golden Granulated Sugar plus extra for sprinkling
Spritz Fresh Lemon Juice
1 x 320g (11 oz) Sheet Pre-rolled Puff Pastry
1 Egg
Splash Milk
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees (390 farenheit).
Combine the chopped apple, cinnamon (1/4 tsp will give you a hint of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp will give you a real flavour hit – it is up to you!), 1/2 tbsp sugar and a spritz of lemon in a small bowl, and set aside.
Cut as many matching pairs of rounds from the pastry from the smallest and largest round cookie cutter in a set. The smaller part will form the base, and the bigger one will form the lid.
Lay the smaller circles out on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, and spoon as much apple filling as you can into the middle of each, allowing space to stick the lid on top with a brush of egg whisked with a splash of milk around the edge, placing the lid on top and sealing it with the prongs of a fork.
Brush the top of each pie with egg wash and generously sprinkle them with more sugar.
Make a pair of little slits in the top of each one with a sharp knife (this will both make them look pretty and make sure moisture can escape in the oven, helping you avoid a soggy bottom!) and bake the pies for 15 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden. Allow to cool just enough so you can pick them up before digging in!
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I'm a food writer, professional recipe developer and cookbook author living in the English Countryside. I love creating easy, accessable recipes filled with vibrant world flavours that are manageable on busy weeknights. Simple and delicious dinners, from my kitchen to yours!
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One Pan Pescatarian: 100 Delicious Dinners – Veggie, Vegan, Fish
My second cookbook contains 100 delicious dinner recipes, all of which are either vegetarian, vegan or which celebrate fish and seafood - all cooked in either one pot or one pan.*
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