Apple Vanilla Pies

Apple Vanilla Pies

The cases are still on special offer at my local supermarket, so here's another creation with them.

1. Take pastry cases (again you can make your own if you want, just use shortcrust or sweet pastry) and place on tray

2. Sprinkle pie bases with 1/4 teaspoon of cornflour (you can also use ground rice or semolina) to keep pasty from going soggy and soak up apple juices.
Peel and slice 2-3 cooking apples (I used brambley apples because they have a great texture and taste) and pack into pie cases.
Add approx 1 teaspoon of sugar to each pie (taste a small piece of apple to see if they are sweet or sour and add more or less sugar as needed)
dust with vanilla powder (to make vanilla powder place a vanilla pod in a jar and fill with icing sugar/ powdered sugar leave for a week than use as needed. When jar is empty refill with icing sugar/ powdered sugar again). You can also buy vanilla sugar ready made.

3. Vanilla fat free sponge - whisk 1 egg with 2oz of caster sugar until pale, thick and fluffy (use a hand or electric whisk) add 1tsp vanilla essence, than fold in (by hand with a metal sponge) 2oz self raising flour
Add mixture evenly between the pies, spreading to cover. It is OK to have apple pecking out in places.

Bake on 180c/ 350f/ gas mark 4 for 25-30 minutes until brown and firm to touch

Serve with cream while still warm or leave to cool and eat as they are
Yummy

Cheats Bakewell Tarts

A traditional English dessert said to originate from Bakewell a small town in Derbyshire, England.

This is a quicker version of the classic Bakewell tart. Its quick because I got the individual pastry pies/ tarts (you can use one large pastry pie/ tart) from the frozen counter and don't make them (sometimes there's just not enough time, plus if its good enough for Delia Smith....) the filling was given to me from a friend who said they made this often in the 70's it uses marzipan which is interesting and very quick to use. So I though I would try these retro tarts.

1. Take pastry cases (you can make your own if you want, just use shortcrust pastry or for something light and different us puff pastry) and place on tray

2. Add some a generous teaspoon of seedless raspberry jam to each pastry and spread (normally strawberry is used but I don't like the seeds you can use another fruit jam you prefer experiment)

3. Frangipane Filling: In a mixer place 1 egg, 5oz/ 125grams chopped marzipan, 2oz/ 50grams butter and blend for a few minutes until smooth.

4.Add mixture evenly between the pies

Bake on 200c/ 400f/ gas mark 6 for 25-30 minutes until brown and firm to touch

Mix 2oz/ 50grams icing sugar with enough water to make fluid, spread onto cooled tarts and add a few flaked almonds to decorate


Beware these tarts are for those with a sweet tooth