Apple Pastries

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 7 -8 large apples
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon (adjust to taste)
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons almond meal (optional)
• 1/4 cup caramel topping or 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 100 g reduced fat margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold water
• 2 tablespoons vinegar (or apple cider, or any really)

Recipe

• 1 mix the flour and salt together. add the margarine and rub in until resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
• 2 add vinegar.
• 3 add water slowly, mixing until it forms a soft dough. if it's not becoming a dough, be patient. if it still isn't, add a little more water but not too much or the pastry will become tough.
• 4 cover in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.
• 5 meanwhile, chop the apples up. it helps to chop them up finely or to throw them in a food processor.
• 6 place them in a large sauce pan with the water and lemon juice and cinnamon and sugar (if using. if n using caramel topping, don't add now). bring to the boil. simmer on high heat for about 10 minutes, or until soft.
• 7 when soft, sift in cornflour. if you like it thicker, add more cornflour. stir in quickly, turn off heat and allow to thicken, still stirring.
• 8 if using caramel, stir in now.
• 9 set topping aside to cool.
• 10 preheat the oven to 200°c.
• 11 lightly spray 3 baking trays with vegetable oil spray.
• 12 take out the pastry. break off a piece with your hand a bit larger than the size of a golf ball. roll it with your hands gently so that it becomes soft. flatten it into a small disc.
• 13 using a medium sized plate, place the dough disc onto it and gently stretch and push the dough in to make it become flatter, until it's about 1/4 inch thick. remember it's supposed to be a circle. you don't really need to use the plate, i just find it helps a lot.
• 14 place about 1-2 heaped tablespoons of filling on one side of the disc. brush the edges with egg, and fold over one side to create a semi-circle. pinch shut gently, and press a fork into the edges for presentation.
• 15 repeat with the rest of the dough. place evenly on the trays. i fit about four per tray, but yours might be different.
• 16 brush one side with remaining egg, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if so desired.
• 17 bake for about 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden.