Apple Hand Pie

Hello friends,

So I have been bogged down with work of late that really don't leave me much time to experiment. But I wanted to try my hands at an apple pie for a long time. Since I am yet to buy a pie tin, I decided to go rustic and make a hand pie instead.

It came out FABULOUS!

I really did not imagine it to be so good at my very first attempt.

Here is the recipe...enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the pastry dough:

1/2 cup butter cubes (frozen and grated and re-frozen)
2 cups of flour
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
3 ice cubes (crushed)
1 tablespoon chilled water
A pince of salt (ONLY if you are using unsalted butter)
1 egg mixed with two teaspoon of milk
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar

For the filling:

2 green apple (peeled, cored and diced)
1/2 cup sugar (based on how sour the apple is)
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
1 pinch of salt
3 to 4 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon melted butter

Preparation:

First prepare the filling by melting butter in a saucepan and throw in the cinnamon sticks. When the butter is aromatic, add the diced apple and sweat until they are softened. Add sugar, salt and honey and let it cook over low heat until it is cooked to its desired level. You can cook it until the apple cubes are almost breaking down, so that the filling is more like an apple jam or you may want to cook them less and let them be somewhat crunchy. I cooked them until they were tender and caramelised but still holding their shape.

Set aside and let lit cool (don't forget to take out the cinnamon sticks with at this stage for they have served their purpose.

Now place the bowl and the fork with which you are going to make the pastry dough for at least half an hour.

Sift flour into the chilled bowl. Add the sugar, salt and mix. Add the butter and mix with the fork. Don't use hands. The trick is into keeping the mixture at a low temperature so adding body-heat is a strict no-no. Break the butter cubes to mix them with the flour until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.

Now add the crushed ice cubes and mix again. It will soon look like wet sand. At this stage take a little bit of the crumb between your thumb and index fingers. If they come together and sticks like a dough it is ready. If not add a teaspoon of chilled water.

Now using your fingers very sparingly make the dough come together. Don't knead. Just make sure that the dough holds itself together, wrap it up in a plastic and stick in inside the fridge for half an hour.

When the filling has cooled down and the pastry dough has been chilled, divide the latter into three/four portions and roll them out individually. Place the filling inside them. Brush the border with melted butter and fold them in a half-moon shape. Cut the edge so that they look even. Now press down the borders with fork to seal it or you can carve them with fingers like I did. Be creative, but just make sure it is airtight.

Now, most importantly, make a few holes with knives on the top of each pie. Otherwise your pie may burst inside your oven and that will not be pretty!

Deep your cooking brush/spoon in the egg and milk mixture and paint the top of the pie (very, very important finishing touch for achieving the striking golden-brown colour). Sprinkle sugar on top.

Bake at a preheated oven at 200 degree celsius for 30 minutes in the convection mode.

Cool the pies for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm, but not scalding hot.

What can I say...it is one of the most delicious things I have every tasted!