I was picking up my youngest daughter from school (she started last week and is enjoying it so far, fingers firmly crossed that it stays this way) and there next to the door I fetch her from is a magnificent apple tree with lots lying on the floor. I couldn’t resist. I chose the best two I could find and came home and made these.
They don’t look like Mr Kiplings’ but that is part of their appeal. They are very easy to make and require little dexterity – always a bonus.
200g plain (all purpose) flour
100g cold butter, diced
cold water to mix
about 3oog cooking apple, peeled, cored and sliced thinly (I used 2 medium sized apples)
demerara sugar (or other sugar would work just as well, I just like the crunch of demerara)
Method
Make the pastry by placing the flour and the butter in a food processor and pulsing until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add enough cold water to mix (I find a small wine glass of water, so about 125ml, is normally about the right amount, but add gradually). Pulse until the pastry just begins to come together. If you don’t have a food processor then place the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and using the tips of your fingers rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water and mix with a palette knife until it begins to come together.
Form the pastry into a ball and flatten slightly. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
I used a muffin tin for my individual pies. Roll out the pastry and then cut out circles measuring 11.5cm – this is the size of my espresso saucers and so I used these to cut round with a sharp knife. I managed to get nine circles out of my pastry. Push the discs into the holes of the muffin tin, using your fingers to carefully push the pastry to the bottom and up the sides. This leaves some pastry overlapping the top. Fill the pastry with apple slices and sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar over each. You could also sprinkle cinnamon if you wanted to. Then wrap the overlapping pastry over the top of the apple.
Sprinkle a little more sugar over the top and place in a preheated oven at 200°c, gas mark 6 or in the Roasting Oven of the Aga for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
This was a very satisfying way of using a couple of apples that would have rotted otherwise and the girls enjoyed them.
There is something strange going on here Kath! I’ve not had an email for your new posts in ages so I thought you must have been having a wee break and then I saw your comment on Percy / Pumbaa and I realise I’ve missed loads of posts. I’m really sorry, I’ll be more vigilant from now on … and I’m glad I rediscovered you on this post too! YUM!
Hi Chele, I am very sorry it is because I changed over to my own site and I cannot work out how to get the RSS feed working again. I am going to try to do it asap and will add your email. I love those little cupcakes of yours they are great. x
I think they are really quaint and adore them, really. I may have a go at making some free form ones myself as I pinched some apples from my Dads allotment as well as foraged some in North Wales whilst driving through, not that i have that many left as I shared my foraged apples with my family whilst down in Wales and have brought back 4, still enough for us :0)
Glad to see you back blogging too x
These look perfect. I would love to have some of these waiting for me after a long day. Yum.
Thank you, the girls enjoyed them, in fact they expect them every time I pick them up!
quick, easy (well sounds easy – I’ve not tried them yet!), and uses fallers. Perfect. They are on my lengthening list of Kath recipes to try.
🙂 Thank you Flavia – I like to keep you busy.
So much more interesting than boring old uniform kipling pies and a darn sight tastier too I expect. Having the house to yourself now must seem quite strange. Do hope things go well at school for your daughter.
It is taking some adjusting to. It is amazing how quickly I have managed to fill my time though and still not getting through the ever growing list of jobs. She is settling well, thank goodness (so far) which is making things much easier.
Well it all makes sense now ;0)
I’ll keep check back, no problem at all ;0)
Good for you–it would be too sad to let those apples just languish on the ground. Love their rustic look, and no doubt these little tarts were delicious.
Oooh waw, your individualized apple tarts look fenomenally tasty! 🙂
Just beautiful with a good cup of apple tea! 🙂