This is inspirational baking. Hand held apple pies, that are take alongs, so good, they will inspire sing alongs.
There is a great myth amongst savory cooks that baking is not creative. I used to say this myself. “Baking is so precise that you must follow someone else’s recipe and, therefore, all the fun is taken out of the kitchen.”
It’s almost as if the pastry chefs of this world think they have secrets that no savory chef or home cook can master. Blogging has changed this faulty thinking. There are so many ways to be creative with cakes and pastries. It only takes a little practice, no different than making that first soup or roast chicken. Pie making is the best place to strum the improv. You can push the envelope of creativity by making sweet things savory or by creating your own combinations. In this case, my little apple pies are slathered in Amish made, black raspberry jam.
These little babies can be served at a high tea, a brunch, a dinner party, a luncheon, or taken to a picnic. They can wrapped up and given as a gift, or taken to a hospital. They transport with grace and are received with great pleasure. Use 1 recipe for pie dough (there may be some left over).
They can be made with the help of four-year old boys. Just be careful.Our dog, Eeyore, had a complete flour face by the end of it. One little boy ate three in a row right out of the oven and it was almost impossible to take pictures. These are good signs of the success of a made up dessert that has no recipe from a savory cook who just a few short years ago didn’t know how to bake.
Ryder suggested that we make the apple pies with blueberries the next time. Now he is an imaginative, unafraid future cook who will go much further in the kitchen than me, because he’s getting such an early start.
I made a sweet and a savory version and will come back to you with that savory version which belongs in the appetizer category.
Tell me are you one of those savory cooks who is afraid to bake?
And, just in case you missed the Autumn apple pie,
Use 1 recipe for pie dough (there may be some left over).
- 4 apples
- 1 recipe for pie dough
- ¼ cup sugar
- lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- (there may be some left over)
- raspberry jam or jelly
- milk to brush on pies before baking
- raw sugar to sprinkle on pies before baking
- cookie cutter (I used an apple; you can use a circle about 3 inches diameter)
- Peel and slice apples, removing core and seeds. It's easiest to slice thin and layer multiple apples, but you can also do thick slices.
- Toss with sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and set aside for 30 minutes. Make pie dough.
- Roll out pie dough thinner than you would for apple pie because your filling is not as high. Cut out with cookie cutter.
- Don't skip this step. Put cut out pie dough on a cookie sheet that will fit in your freezer and freeze for 10-15 minutes. Freezing keeps the pie dough intact to fill and won't fall apart when assembling.
- Top with jam or jelly. Top with apples. Top with more jam or jelly. Top with another pie dough cut out. Pinch the edges together, but not totally. It looks nice for some of the filling to be showing You can freeze at this point or bake.
- Place on baking sheet that has parchment or wax paper, as some jelly may come out and stick.
- Brush with milk and sprinkle with raw sugar.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until bottom is golden brown.
Love the idea to use cookie cutters to make fun shaped hand pies. Your apple pie looks fabulous!
Hi Angela…am trying to catch up with all of your deliciousness! These look so pretty and the perfect size. I bet the jam makes them really stand out.
These look so delicious! I love this kind of baking and eating and have long planned on making hand pies. Beautiful – as is the pie!!! And lucky to have such adorable, creative help in the kitchen! Wonderful recipe!
These are so pretty! I like it how you have cut the dough into apple shapes and with the athumn pie, into leaf shapes. Well thought out:)
Hand Pies are the next Big “little” thing. GREG
What an adorable young chef you have there. These look wonderful and would love one with my coffee right about now 🙂
Hello to you and thanks for dropping by my blog foodonfifth.com. You have a really great site as well and I am looking forward to being “blog friends”. It is so much fun for me to meet and share blogs with kindred spirits. Your family stories and photos are wonderful. Hope to meet you soon. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Teresa You are so talented, and I can’t wait to meet you in a few weeks.
Looks like you have a budding chef in the making, I like his suggestion of apples and blueberries too!
Sylvie, he has an identical twin, so two chefs in the making.
Aww he looks so cute in his chef’s hat Angela! And indeedy the speedy consumption of still hot pastries means that you are definitely onto a winner for taste! 😀
that is sooo adorable!
Oh I love to bake! I think its so fab that Ryder is coming up with new ideas! Teachign them young is so important. Cooking and baking is all about fun and trying new things!
I am not totally afraid to bake but only bake for special occasions so really have not had enough practice over the years. These little hand pies are made ll the more special with little hands helping in the kitchen.
Extra ces gourmandises bien garnies et la forme de pomme j’adore
Je te souhaite une belle journée
Valérie
These look delicious! And I totally agree, baking can be a creative art just like cooking.
What adorable little helpers! And Eeyore is one lucky pup. I would absolutely love this for dessert right now.
You the MAN Ryder! Looks yummy!!
I’ve been baking and cooking for so long…I never thought of baking as any more difficult but I get that. Definitely needs to follow a formula sometimes but in some ways I’m freed by living at altitude; things often are imperfect and we’ve grown to get used to that. Great flavor will override a depression in the center always!
These are gorgeous. Almost 2pm here and I’ve not eaten a thing yet…so wish I had one of these little guys in MY hand.