Apple and cherry pies

Name: Apple and cherry pies
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 150g dried cherries; 100ml cherry liqueur or brandy; 70g castor sugar; 2 tbsp honey; 70g butter; 5 pink lady apples, peeled, cored and cut in 1cm dice; 2/3 quantity rough puff pastry (see recipe ); 1 egg, whisked; 2 tbsp flaked almonds; Icing sugar to dust

Karen Martini

April 25, 2013

Apple and cherry pies are delicious served with a dollop of custard.Marina Oliphant

Time:1-2 hoursServes:12

These flaky little pies are delicious straight from the oven with a dollop of creme fraiche, or warm with hot custard. You will need to prepare a quantity of rough puff pastry.

Ingredients

150g dried cherries
100ml cherry liqueur or brandy
70g castor sugar
2 tbsp honey
70g butter
5 pink lady apples, peeled, cored and cut in 1cm dice
2/3 quantity rough puff pastry (see recipe here)
1 egg, whisked
2 tbsp flaked almonds
Icing sugar to dust

Method

Step 1
Chop the cherries roughly, then soak in the liqueur for half an hour.
Step 2
Mix the sugar, honey and butter with the diced apples and cook in a large non-stick frying pan for 5 minutes. Stir through the cherries and liqueur and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the fruit is soft and the liquid is reduced and sticky. Leave to cool completely.
Step 3
Cut the puff into thirds and roll out each piece three millimetres thick. Chill for 10-15 minutes. Then cut eight- to 10cm circles out of the pastry, re-roll the scraps and cut more circles. Place the pastry circles back in the fridge to chill for another 10 minutes.
Step 4
Remove the pastry from the fridge and place on a baking tray. Brush the circles with egg and add a heaped tablespoon of the apple mix. Top with another circle, press the edges together, brush the top with egg and scatter the almonds around the edges. Take the circles from the fridge as you need them so the pastry stays firm.
Step 5
Bake in a 200C fan-forced (220C conventional) oven for 25-30 minutes until golden. Dust with icing sugar and serve.