Apples and apples and apples, as far as the eye can see! I’ve peeled and cut so many my hands have stiffened up. I am in no way complaining about this bounty of sweet deliciousness, but there is only so many dehydrated apple chips apple puree and homemade apple cider vinegar one can have.
Today I’m going to go straight down the road to treat-ville. No amount of claiming ‘but there is fruit in it!’ is going to make these any healthier. We are well and truly in dessert territory, and I for one am happy to be there.
Apple + Caramel, Caramel + Apple. No matter which way you put it, these two flavours are meant to be together.
What makes it even better is that the caramel sauce is homemade. Store-bought caramel has NOTHING on homemade stuff. Plus, when you make it there is always enough left in the jar for future desserts.
Once your caramel is made, you’ll add it to the apple filling as well as over top of the little pies. Apple slices are first sauteed in butter and a little cinnamon til they are soft. Then the gooey caramel is added and they are cooked a little more.
I am using store-bought puff pastry, or else I couldn’t brag about how quick these are to make. (Really! They are so quick.)
One sheet of ready rolled puff is cut into 4 pieces, each will be a little pie. A good tablespoon of apple filling placed in the middle, folded in half and crimped with a fork. Add a few slits in the top and ta-da!
A little egg wash on top and they are ready to be baked.
Once they’re golden brown and cooked, remove them from the oven and let them cool before smothering them with rich caramel sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 100g butter, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup pouring cream
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 5 medium sized apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons salted caramel sauce
- 3 sheets pre-rolled puff pastry
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
Instructions
- In a deep saucepan, heat the sugar over medium heat until it starts to melt. Stir gently but thoroughly while it melts. It will first clump together, then melt and turn a deep golden colour.
- Once melted, add in the cubes of butter, two cubes at a time. Start whisking while you do this and don't stop until the butter has melted.
- Once the butter has completely melted, pour in the cream and keep whisking. Take extra care here as the cold cream will make the caramel bubble and rise.
- Add in the salt.
- Pour into a sterilised jar and leave it to cool down.
- In a saucepan, gently saute the apple slices and cinnamon in the two tablespoons of butter. Cook for 10 minutes, until the apple is soft.
- Add in the three tablespoons of your caramel sauce and cook for another two minutes. Remove from heat.
- Heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a baking tray with baking paper or grease it.
- Take your three sheets of rolled out puff pastry and cut each into 4.
- Place a spoonful of apple filling into the middle of each quarter of pastry.
- Fold over one corner to meet the opposite corner and crimp it down with a fork. Repeat this until all the filling is gone and you have 12 mini pies.
- Brush each mini pie with some egg wash.
- Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown, then leave to cool for 10 minutes before smothering with caramel sauce.
Happy Baking!
