• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Polka Dotter

Baking a bit of beauty into every day

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Food Photography and Styling
  • FAQ
  • Contact

Spiced Maple Apple Pies

June 11, 2017 by Salma 2 Comments

Spiced Maple Apple Pies | The Polka Dotter
I adore the scent of cinnamon and spice wafting through the kitchen on a chilly winter evening. Snuggling up with a cosy blanket, a steaming mug of tea and indulging in one of these apple pies topped with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of salted caramel is my idea of pure comfort. I’ve being making these spiced maple apple pies for years now, being one of my husband’s favourite desserts, so I thought it was about time to finally pen the recipe down and share it with you. I hope these little pies keep you warm all winter long.

Spiced Maple Apple Pies | The Polka DotterSpiced Maple Apple Pies | The Polka Dotter
Baking Notes
(1) This pie uses shortcrust pastry as its base. For best results, work lightly with your ingredients, ensure the butter is chilled, and do not overwork the dough. You can make the pastry in a food processer if you wish, although I enjoy making it by hand.

(2) I’ve kept the ginger and cloves to a minimum in this recipe to let the cinnamon shine through, but if you prefer to spice things up you may wish to be a little more liberal with these ingredients. This recipe would also work beautifully with the addition of raisins, cranberries or toasted pecans in the filling.

Spiced Maple Apple Pies | The Polka DotterSpiced Maple Apple Pies | The Polka Dotter
Spiced Maple Apple Pies
Makes six 10cm (4”) mini apple pies

Ingredients
Shortcrust pastry
450g plain flour
4 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp fine sea salt
240g cold butter, finely diced
2 egg yolks mixed with 2 tbsp cold water (reserve egg whites for brushing on pastry during assembly)

Spiced Maple Apple Filling
5 large granny smith apples (approx. 1kg), washed, peeled, cored and sliced into 7mm wedges
100g butter
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ cup (60ml) maple syrup
¼ cup (60g) caster sugar

Method
Shortcrust Pastry
(1) Grease six mini 10cm (4”) by 2.5cm (1”) deep scalloped pie tins with removable bases.
(2) Sift flour, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl, then rub in butter to coarse crumbs. Work lightly with your fingertips, and take care not to overmix.
(3) Make a well in the bowl, then add egg yolk-water mixture and bring the dough together in clumps using a butter knife. Add another tbsp of cold water, then clump the pastry together into a ball using your hands (dusted with flour). If pastry is sticky, add a light dusting of sifted flour or if crumbly, add a couple more drops of cold water.
(4) Flatten pastry into a disc then wrap in cling film and chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
(5) Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan-forced), and remove pastry from fridge, allowing 5-15 minutes for pastry to come to a workable consistency.
(6) Roll approximately two-thirds of the pastry out between two sheets of greaseproof paper dusted with flour, to 4mm thickness.
(7) Cut pastry to fit mini pie tins, sliding the pastry into each tin without stretching to fit. To achieve a neat scalloped shape, work your way around the edges of the tin, gently pressing the pastry against the tin edge, and cleanly removing the excess pastry at the height of the tin.
(8) Lightly prick the surface of pastry with a fork. Chill pastry in tins for another 15 minutes in the fridge.
(9) While the pastry cases are chilling, roll out the remaining third of the pastry. Using a spare mini scalloped pie tin as a pastry cutter, cut out 3 large scallops, that will be used to cover 3 pies. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts from the large scallops. Proceed to cut out more heart shapes of different sizes from the remaining pastry that will be used to cover the remaining 3 pies. Place all pastry shapes flat in the fridge for use later.
(10) Remove pastry cases from fridge, place small clean sheets of greaseproof paper on top of each one, then baking beads or uncooked rice, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove paper and beads and bake for another 5 minutes until pastry is dry and pale golden.
(11) Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in pie tins.

Spiced Maple Apple Filling
(1) Place butter and spices in a wide-based saucepan on low heat until melted.
(2) Add apple slices, maple syrup and sugar, tossing to ensuring the slices are completely coated.
(3) Cook apples on medium heat until softened but not completely cooked through.
(4) Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

Assembly and Serving
(1) Preheat oven again to 190°C (170°C fan-forced).
(2) Divide cooked cooled apple slices between mini pie tins, drizzling each pie with 1-2 tablespoons of the spiced maple liquid to ensure a moist filling.
(3) Cover 3 pies with the mini scalloped shapes, then arrange the mini hearts on top of the 3 remaining pies, using a little egg white to stick them to each other if required.
(4) Brush pie tops with egg white, then place in oven for 20-25 minutes until pastry is cooked and golden.
(5) Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of your favourite vanilla ice cream (and I love it with a drizzle of salted caramel).

Enjoy!

Spiced Maple Apple Pies | The Polka Dotter
Credits and Sources
Large handmade ceramic platter and small bowls from Clay Canoe
Small handmade ceramic plate from Kim Wallace Ceramics
Handmade wooden cake server from Hope in the Woods
Linen apron and napery from Red House VT

Filed Under: Pies & Tarts Tagged With: Apple, Cinnamon, Maple, Spice

Previous Post: « Peanut Butter Brownie Salted Caramel Crunch Cake
Next Post: Pumpkin Pie »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lynn | The Road to Honey

    July 19, 2017 at 1:39 am

    These pies are absolutely stunning Salma. I’ve definitely been in the mood to bake a couple of pies myself these days and since stone fruits are aplenty. . .well. . .I really have no excuse. You have motivated me to create a few that I hope will be as beautiful as your apple creations.

    Reply
    • Salma

      August 6, 2017 at 12:20 pm

      Thanks so much Lynn. There’s nothing quite as comforting as a good pie, is there? Hope you enjoy making these 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply to Salma Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Salma Sabdia | Food Photography

Hi, I’m Salma, and I love creating beautiful images and sweet treats. If you’re looking for a little baking inspiration, you’ve come to the right place.

SaveSave

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Instagram

Weekend cake vibes 💕
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#onmytable #weekendbaking #yoghurtcake #loafcake #berrycake #raspberrycake #blackberrycake #figcake
“Desserts satisfy a different kind of hunger: th “Desserts satisfy a different kind of hunger: they nourish the soul, if not the body.” - Greg Malouf
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A few years ago I read this eloquent passage, and my enduring love for desserts made complete sense. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Desserts nourish the soul not only in the joy of consumption, but in the labour of love of baking, creating, and sharing a piece of ourselves with those we hold close to our hearts. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It’s been a challenging few years, but right now it’s comforting to finally navigate my way back to baking and sharing that contentment with loved ones.
What’s your favourite thing to bake in autumn? I What’s your favourite thing to bake in autumn? I think I’ve found a new love this season in this Honey Ricotta Cheesecake + Brûlée’d Figs. Shot recently for @harrisfarmmarkets. So simple yet so divine, it’s the kinda thing that will have you raiding the fridge late at night Nigella style 😆 recipe up on the blog
Farewell to March with these fig and blackberry ca Farewell to March with these fig and blackberry cake vibes 💕
Can’t believe the deluge of rain over the last f Can’t believe the deluge of rain over the last few days! Hope all of you living across Australia’s east coast are staying safe in this weather, it’s been heartbreaking seeing the flooding 💕 this image is from my most recent shoot for @harrisfarmmarkets a few weeks ago, when the days were a little warmer and best spent outdoors sipping on these little Blackberry Rose & Lime Mocktails 😌
That Persian Love Pavlova 💕 Valentine’s Day m That Persian Love Pavlova 💕 Valentine’s Day may well be over but don’t worry, this gorgeous rosewater pav topped with cardamom cream, fresh figs, Turkish delight and slivered pistachios will be hanging around for a while. Recipe up on the blog ☺️
Sending you all a little love today 💕 Sending you all a little love today 💕
If you’re still looking for something special to If you’re still looking for something special to make this weekend, look no further than this Persian Love Pavlova 💕 inspired by the Persian Love Cake, this pretty pav is flavoured with rosewater, covered in cardamom cream and topped with fresh juicy figs, jewels of Turkish delight and a smattering of slivered pistachios. Created for @harrisfarmmarkets and recipe up on the blog now ☺️
Thanks for all the love on my last post! Looks lik Thanks for all the love on my last post! Looks like I’ll have to start sharing a few more baking videos 😊️ Speaking of love, I’ve got the perfect Valentine’s Day recipe coming up for you tomorrow. And yes, it involves these gorgeous figs 😍
Follow @thepolkadotter on Instagram

Latest Blog Posts

Chocolate Coconut Chai Caramel Cupcakes | The Polka Dotter
Maple Yoghurt Loaf Cake | The Polka Dotter
Honey Ricotta Cheesecake with Bruleed Figs | The Polka Dotter
Blackberry Rose & Lime Mocktails | The Polka Dotter
Persian Love Pavlova | The Polka Dotter
Gingerbread Mini Bundt Cakes + Lemon Glaze | The Polka Dotter
Mango & Macadamia Mini Ice Cream Cakes | The Polka Dotter
Mango & Passionfruit Curd Mini Pavlovas | The Polka Dotter
Chai Poached Pears + Salted Caramel | The Polka Dotter

Copyright © 2022 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework