Individual Mini Apple Pies are perfect with a cup of tea. They look so dainty, elegant and adorable on dessert trays. They are perfect in your lunch box or in your picnic basket. They taste sinfully delicious with just enough sweetness and wonderful to serve at parties. They make excellent surprise treats and gifts too.
The aroma of cinnamon & cloves is soothing to the senses while the orange and lime is so refreshing. When I baked these cute little miniature apple pies, my home was engulfed in the comforting smell of sweet aromatic spices and they tasted divine! When you take your first bite the pastry melts in your mouth and the filling is pleasantly smooth, soft and delicious.
Do give them a try. I am sure you will want to bake them again. They are heavenly so you may crave for more! 😀
For the Filling:
- 2 large Apples or approx. 370 gms.
- 1 tbsp. Orange Juice
- Zest of 1 Orange
- 1 tsp. Lime Juice
- 15 gms. Butter
- 1 tbsp. Castor Sugar or to taste
- ½ tsp.fresh Cinnamon pwd
- 2 pinches – fresh Clove pwd.
- 2 tbsps. mixture of chopped Raisins & Nuts (optional)
Let’s prepare the Apple Filling:
Wash, wipe, peel and finely chop the apples. Place them in a sufficiently large and deep saucepan with all the remaining ingredients mentioned above. Cook over medium heat with the lid on for 5 minutes or until soft. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool completely before using for filling in pastry tarts.
For the Short crust Pastry:
- 200 gms. Maida/All Purpose Flour
- 100 gms. unsalted Butter (chilled & cubed)
- A pinch – Salt
- 1 tbsp. Icing Sugar
- 1 Egg (lightly beaten)
For the Glaze: Beat one egg with one tablespoon of water
Let’s prepare the Short Crust Pastry:
Place the flour, butter, icing sugar and salt in the food processor. Run the processor for a few seconds.
Add the beaten egg and whiz the processor; just enough to let the dough come together in a ball.
Transfer the dough to the rolling board or counter surface.
With your hands, flatten out the ball of dough until it is about 2 cm thick.
Wrap the flattened dough in a cling film and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or in the freezer for 10-15 minutes until lightly firm.
Assembling & Baking the Mini Apple Pies:
Roll the firm pastry dough between two sheets of cling film.
Cut and line mini pastry tarts with the dough cut outs. Use a mini tart as a cutter.
Fill each tart with a teaspoon of the cooled apple mixture.
With the same cutter, cut out lids and use a small heart cutter to cut the centers or any design of your choice and make them look pretty.
Cover the filling with the prepared lids.
Brush the tops of the pastry lids with the egg glaze.
Bake the mini apple pies in a pre-heated oven at 220 C for 10-15 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
Makes about 36 mini apple pies.
