An incredible aroma will invade your home when you prepare these little bags.
The most genuine and traditional flavors are always the most loved: there is nothing that creates a festive and warm atmosphere like the inebriating aroma of freshly baked apple pies.
But this time it will not only be the scent of apples!
These hand pies, or delicious treasure chests “that fit in one hand”, bring with them flavors and memories, that we all have, linked to home-made apple desserts, to warm mountain strudels.
They are irresistible and, in an instant, we find ourselves with sweetly sticky hands.
A crunchy shell made with a crumbly shortcrust pastry that holds a soft filling of apples and toasted pine nuts.
But the peculiarity of this recipe is that of having characterized the filling with a spoonful of the infusion “I tesoro del bosco”. The preparation of this infusion, with hibiscus, rose hip, apple, blueberries, elderberries, redcurrant, marigold, cornflower and berries, has a very particular flavor that goes from sweet to sour, in a perfect balance, and will make these hand pies very original.
In addition to the traditional cinnamon, a spice often combined with apples, also add some cardamom seeds, which with its intense, warm, fragrant, sweet and floral flavor will go very well with the filling. You can give the hand pies any shape you like: from the classic round, to the crescent, or rectangular and you can decorate them with small knife cuts or use heart or star cutters, according to your imagination.
As you will see, they are really quick and easy to make, especially if you decide to use a ready-made shortcrust pastry. Or, to organize yourself better, you can prepare the pastry or filling the day before, cool it and store it in the fridge until you use it.
These apple bags are perfect for a delicious winter awakening, excellent as a snack or to serve accompanied with a cup of hot infusion in the afternoon or after dinner. They will help us find peace and, even if for a moment, time will stop and it will be all for us!
Ingredients for about 15 pieces
For the shortcrust pastry:
250 g of flour 0 (or a mix with wholemeal flour)
180 g of cold butter
70/90 ml of iced water
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/ 2 teaspoon of salt
For the filling:
2 apples (Fuji, Renetta or Golden Delicious variety)
1 tablespoon of pine nuts
1 heaped tablespoon of I tesoro del Bosco infusion preparation
3 level tablespoons of brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
3 cardamom pods
juice of half a lemon
1 pinch of salt
1 knob of butter
For the glaze/closure:
1 egg yolk
1/2 tablespoon of water
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
PROCEDURE
Preparation of the shortcrust pastry:
In a bowl, mix the flours, sugar, a pinch of salt and the cold butter cut into small pieces.
Mix the dough well by hand until you obtain a grainy mixture. Pour in the iced water by spoonfuls and knead very quickly until you have a compact and homogeneous dough. The amount of water needed will depend on the type of flour you use (wholemeal flour, for example, requires more water).
Form a flattened ball, wrap it in cling film and let it rest in the fridge for about 1 hour.
Preparation of the filling:
Peel the apples, cut them into small cubes and moisten them with a little lemon juice.
Toast the pine nuts in a non-stick pan and then set them aside.
Put a knob of butter in the pan and add the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, crushed cardamom pod seeds and the infusion preparation and cook, with a lid, over low heat for about 10/15 minutes, until the apples are well stewed. Let cool a little and then add the toasted pine nuts.
Preparation of the saccottini:
Beat the egg yolk with the water to close and polish the saccottini.
Roll out the shortcrust pastry with a rolling pin, to a thickness of about 2 mm.
Using a pastry cutter, approximately 8/10 centimeters in diameter, form disks from the dough and place them on a baking tray covered with baking paper.
On each disk, place a spoonful of apple filling, leaving a centimeter of free edge, which you will moisten with a little water and beaten egg, to seal the closure well. Close with another disk of dough, or fold the disk over itself to obtain a half moon.
Brush the saccottini with egg yolk and water and sprinkle them with a little brown sugar.
Using a sharp knife, make incisions on the surface of each saccottino to let out the excess moisture. Place the pan in the fridge for another 10 minutes.
Bake in a static oven at 180°C for about 20 minutes, until golden.
Let rest for 5 minutes, place them on a rack to cool.
