Glazed Apple and Cinnamon Handpies - by Phoebe Woods & Kirsten Jenkins

Ingredients

"These handpies are like apple pie and a doughnut in one. The flaky fried pastry and caramelised apples is an absolutely wicked combination, and the crunchy Krispy Kreme–style glaze is the perfect finish. I took these to a picnic and they were devoured in minutes. They don't have a great shelf life, so make sure they're eaten on the day you make them (it won't be hard)." - Phoebe.

Dough:

600g plain (all-purpose) flour
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
200g cold unsalted butter, chopped
300mL (10 fl oz) cold milk
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar

Apple filling:

40g unsalted butter
250g dark muscovado sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 apples peeled, cored and sliced into thin rounds
1 egg, lightly beaten
Vegetable oil, for frying

Doughnut glaze:

90g pure icing (confectioners') sugar
25g unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 Tbs milk
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

Dough:

Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and roughly cut into the flour (leave some larger chunks of butter in the dough, as this will make the pastry lovely and flaky as it cooks). Add the milk and vinegar and stir to combine, then knead until the mixture just forms a dough. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 3 hours.

Apple filling:

Melt the butter in a saucepan with the sugar, cinnamon and 2 teaspoons of water over low heat. Cook the apples in batches for 10 minutes or until tender. Remove the apples using a slotted spoon and leave to cool. Cook the syrup for a further minute or until very thick and reduced. Cool completely.

Making the pie:

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Cut out six 10 cm (4 in) circles and six 11 cm (4¼ in) circles. Place about 4 apple slices in the centre of each smaller circle, and top with 1 teaspoon of the reduced syrup. Brush the edges with the beaten egg, then place the larger rounds over the top, pressing the edges together to seal.

Half-fill a deep, heavy-based saucepan or deep-fryer with vegetable oil and heat to 170°C (340°F). (If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer you can test if the oil is hot enough by dropping in a small cube of bread; it should sizzle and turn brown in 20 seconds.) Working in 3 batches, cook the pies for 4 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. Remove them using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Leave to cool slightly.

Doughnut glaze:

To make the glaze, whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Dip the pies in the glaze and drain them on a wire rack set over a tray. Serve while still warm.

Credits: This is an edited extract from The Pie Project by Phoebe Woods & Kirsten Jenkins, published by Hardie Grant Books, RRP $29.99.

Photo Credits: This is an edited extract from The Pie Project by Phoebe Woods & Kirsten Jenkins, published by Hardie Grant Books, RRP $29.99.