Description
These spiced apple and blackberry hand pies are a delightfully easy-to-make dessert featuring a fragrant blend of soft apples, juicy blackberries, and warm cinnamon wrapped in buttery shortcrust pastry. Perfectly portioned for six pies, they bake to a golden finish with a sweet, bubbling filling inside. Serve warm with cream or custard for a comforting treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit Filling
- 2 medium cooking apples peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces
- 50 g golden caster sugar
- 150 g blackberries fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pastry and Finish
- 2 sheets 320 g shortcrust pastry
- 1 small egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
Instructions
- Cook the Apples: Place the chopped apples in a small saucepan with 50 g golden caster sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes until the apples are soft. Transfer the cooked apples to a shallow dish and spread them out to cool.
- Mix the Filling: In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon cornflour, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon into a smooth paste. Add the cooled apples and 150 g blackberries, then gently mix to combine the filling evenly without breaking up the fruit too much.
- Prepare Pastry Circles: Unroll the shortcrust pastry sheets. Using a 10 cm round pastry cutter (or a similarly sized ramekin or glass), cut out 12 circles. Place about 1 tablespoon of the fruit filling on half of the circles, leaving a 1 cm border around the edges.
- Assemble the Pies: Brush the edges of the filled pastry circles with the beaten egg. Place a plain pastry circle on top to encase the filling, gently pressing the edges together. Form small dents on the top and bottom to create an apple shape. Seal edges by pressing firmly with fork prongs. Brush the tops with egg wash. Use leftover pastry to cut out small leaves and stalks, attach them with egg wash, and poke a steam hole in the top of each pie with a skewer.
- Chill the Pies: Place assembled pies on a baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour (or overnight). They can also be frozen for up to 3 months at this stage.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (180 degrees Celsius fan). Bake the pies for 20 minutes or until golden and the filling is bubbling through the steam holes. If baking from frozen, add 10 minutes to the bake time.
- Serve: Sprinkle the pies with 1 tablespoon caster sugar and serve warm with cream or custard as desired.
Notes
- If you don’t have a 10 cm round pastry cutter, an upside-down ramekin or a glass of similar diameter can be used to cut the circles.
- For make-ahead preparation, assemble pies up to step 5, then store in the fridge for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 3 months before baking.
- Use a digital scale when possible for accurate ingredient measurements, especially with pastry weight.
- If using frozen blackberries, thaw and drain excess liquid before mixing with apples to prevent soggy filling.
- Ensure steam holes are poked to avoid bursting during baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pie
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
