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Little apple pies

In our book, hot apple pie and ice-cream has to be one of the most comforting things you can eat.

By Lisa Featherby
  • 30 mins preparation
  • 30 mins cooking (plus resting, chilling)
  • Makes 8 pies
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Little apple pie
When it comes to crowd-pleasing desserts, the timeless treat of hot apple pie and cold ice-cream is right in the comfort zone.

Ingredients

  • 1 kg Granny Smith apples (about 7), peeled and diced
  • 200 gm caster sugar
  • 20 gm butter, diced
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp cold water
  • 1 sheet butter puff pastry rolled to a 3mm thick square and refrigerated until required
  • Eggwash, for brushing
  • Pure icing sugar, for dusting
  • Vanilla ice cream or pouring cream, to serve
Shortcrust pastry
  • 250 gm (1⅔ cups) plain flour
  • 40 gm, caster sugar
  • 200 gm chilled diced butter
  • 2 eggwhites

Method

  • 1
    For shortcrust pastry, process flour, sugar and butter in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add eggwhite and process just until the dough comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured bench, form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for pastry to rest until firm (1-2 hours).
  • 2
    Meanwhile, combine apple, sugar and 2 tbsp water in a large saucepan and stir occasionally over medium heat until apple is tender and translucent but still holding shape (15-20 minutes). Drain syrup from apples and return 50ml syrup to pan with butter and cinnamon and bring to a simmer (any flavoured syrup remaining makes a great addition to flavour various cocktails). Add cornstarch slurry to apples and stir until sauce is thick (2-3 minutes). Transfer mixture to a bowl and set aside to cool, then refrigerate until chilled (1 hour).
  • 3
    Divide shortcrust pastry in half, then working with one half at a time, break pieces over a sheet of baking paper to form a small rough rectangle. Place another sheet of baking paper on top and roll to a 30cm x 15cm rectangle, then refrigerate in between paper to rest and firm while you roll the other half. Trim pastry edges and cut each into four 14cm x 7cm rectangles, then place on a large baking tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate again to firm (15-20 minutes).
  • 4
    Trim puff pastry edges and cut into eight 14cm x 7cm rectangles and refrigerate to firm also (15-20 minutes).
  • 5
    Preheat oven to 200C. Spoon apple filling along the centre of each rectangle of shortcrust pastry, brush edges with eggwash, place a piece of puff pastry on top and press sides to seal, then cut edges to evenly trim and seal short ends with a fork. Poke a hole in the centre for steam to escape, brush with eggwash and bake on a large baking paper lined oven tray, turning tray once until golden and puffed and pastry is crisp on base (14-16 minutes). Serve hot, dusted with icing sugar with ice cream or cream.

Notes

We use Carême puff pastry, which comes in 375gm sheets. If it's unavailable, substitute another good butter puff pastry.

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  • undefined: Lisa Featherby