Mini Apple Pies with Bry

Perfect bite sized Apple Pies!

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

115g butter

100g icing sugar

pinch salt

zest of half a lemon

2 egg yolks

2 tbsp cold milk or water

Extra cream/milk and caster sugar for basting

Filling

3 apples, peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces

1 vanilla pod split and scraped

1 cinnamon stick

1 clove

2 tsp brown sugar

Squeeze lemon juice

dash water

The pastry can be made in a food processor or by hand. Cream the butter, sugar, salt and lemon zest in a food processor. Add the flour, mix until combined then add the egg yolks. When it looks like coarse breadcrumbs add the milk or water. Keep processing until it comes together in a ball. Wrap in gladwrap, place in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

Press the pastry into twelve small cupcake sized pans that have been sprayed with oil. Rest in the freezer for about twenty minutes. Blind bake at 180C for about 15 minutes or until pale golden. If they have puffed up press them down gently with a tea-towel whilst still warm.

For the filling combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat with a lid on until soft but not mushy, shaking occasionally to prevent burning at the bottom. Remove vanilla pods, cinnamon and the clove. Ideally the filling should be cooled before going into the shells.

Heap the cases full of pastry then cover with a remaining piece of pastry. Brush with cream and dust with sugar then put two small slits in the lid with a knife. Bake at 180C until the top is golden and the filling is warmed through.