This is my entry for “Apple Day”, to read more about this event vist Zorra at 1x umrühren bitte. Apple Day is an event sponsored by Swissfruit.

Mini Apple & Cinnamon Pies

INGREDIENTS

for the filling
1 kg hard apples, for instance Gala apples (peeled, cored, cubed)
½ lemon juice
1 tbs vanilla sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

for sweet short crust pastry
2½ cup plain white flour
200g unsalted butter (cold, chopped)
½ cup golden caster sugar
2-3 egg yolks (I used 3 small yolks)
3 tbs natural yogurt or soured cream

icing sugar to sprinkle – optional

EQUIPMENT

12 muffin/pie tray or separate 6.5 cm (2.5 inches) wide tart or muffin tins

METHOD

To prepare short crust pastry in a mixing bowl combine flour, butter, sugar yolks and some of the yogurt. Knead the dough with your hands till it creates smooth dough and is not falling apart any more. Add rest of the yogurt if necessary. Place in the fridge for about an hour.

In meantime peel apples, core and cube them. Place in container with squeezed lemon juice, stir so apples are covered in lemon juice and won’t turn brown. Fry them in deep frying pan till there is no more water, apples are starting to get soft but they are still almost raw. Remove from fire, add vanilla sugar and cinnamon, leave aside.

Take out pastry from the fridge, cut off ⅔ and remaining ⅓ put back in the fridge. Cut dough into 12 pieces and lay each pie tin or space on the muffin tray with the pastry, make sure to cover bottom and sides properly. Prick bottom with fork and place it in preheated oven to 180°C (356°F) for about 10 minutes. Dough have to get dry and start getting golden. Place apples on the top of the dough. Remove remaining dough from the fridge and cut it into 12 pieces, create balls, flatten them and place on the top of each pie. Put back to the oven for 20-25 minutes, top of the pie should be golden brown.

If you use separate tins it will be easy to remove pies from them, if you use muffin tray, first cover it with chopping board and then turn holding chopping board all the time close to the tray.

Optionally dust with icing sugar.

Serve warm or cold or even chilled.

Make 12 pies.