Apple and Blueberry Pies

It was my birthday recently and I popped into TK Max for a scarf as a present/ treat for myself, but I went to the household section first and found a baking tray with apple shapes and a matching set of apple cutters and they were half price :) so I bought them instead of the scarf.



One problem with the matching cutters was only one cutter (there are 5 in the pack) fit the tray.  This matching cutter cut the bottom pastry shape for the pie, I had to adjust a smaller shaped cutter for the lids to fit.





Apple and Blueberry Pies

• 1 Sheet puff pastry (made or bought)
• 1 Large cooking apple
•  A few handfuls of blueberries 
•  Sugar to taste (1 used about 1 heaped teaspoon as the blueberries were very sweet)
•  1 teaspoon cinnamon
•  1 heaped teaspoon cornflour

Preheat oven at 200C / 400F / Gas Mark 6
Prepare baking tray (You can use a normal baking tray with rounds, I just wanted to try my new tray)

Peel and dice the apple and put in a bowl with the blueberries, sugar and cinnamon, mix to together.








Cut out pastry shapes and put into baking tray, divide up the apple mixture and add.

Cut pie lids (you may need to re-roll your pastry)
Wet the edges and place onto the baking tray pressing to edges to seal. Using a fork stab each pie lid (to let the steam out  as the pies cook)
Cook until golden brown.

Serve hot or cold with custard, ice-cream or cream

Little Rustic Peach Pies

 











Quick and tasty, peaches and cinnamon

Ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry (if you make your own try adding a tsp of ground cinnamon)
• 3 -4 Ripe peaches
• 1 tablespoon of sugar (depending on the sweetness of the peaches)
• 1 heaped teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 heaped teaspoon cornflour
• A little sugar for sprinkling on pastry

Preheat oven at 200C / 400F / Gas Mark 6

Prepare your baking tray I used a Yorkshire pudding tray but a flat baking tray works just as well.
Remove stones from the peaches and cut into slices add to a bowl. Add the cinnamon, sugar and cornflour stir together to coat the peaches and set aside.

Un-roll if bought or roll our if home made the pastry and cut into 4 squares. Add a square of pastry to the baking tray and add a 1/4 of the peaches, wet the edges of the pastry with water and fold starting at a corner work your way around leaving a centre hole.





 

Repeat for the other 3 squares

 

Brush the pastry with milk and sprinkle lightly with sugar 

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.



Good eaten hot or cold, I served mine hot with cream. For a stylish look dust lightly with icing sugar before serving

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