Made with You in Mind: Cranberry & Apple Pocket Pie (GF)

These cute pocket pies were made with someone very special in mind. Someone who has been/is a great friend and fellow blogger and baking enthusiast. That someone is the lovely Monica from Lick The Bowl Good. Even though we have never met, Monica and I have become friends and she always has a kind word or comment to say. After seeing many delicious desserts and tasty treats on Monica’s blog using flavoured baking chips, I was telling her how annoying I found it that we don’t have access of any flavoured baking chips here in the UK. Monica being the lovely lady she is sent me a Christmas baking parcel full of four different bags to baking chips – toffee, cinnamon, cappuccino and mint. Not only that, she also sent me a box of gluten free flour and an Apple shaped pocket pie mold!!! How thoughtful and generous is that!

I knew instantly that an apple shaped pocket pie was going to be the first thing I made. It’s such a clever design. You stamp out two pastry shapes using one side of the mold, then turn it over and use the other side to fill and crimp them into your own little pie. Unbelievably cute and I adore how it’s apple shaped – just perfect for me.

Due to its apple shape, the first one naturally had to contain apple. I combined this with some fresh cranberries I had leftover from Christmas along with some ginger to give it a little festive spice.

The pie mold also allows you to cut out a leaf shape from the top side of the pastry, allowing you a sneak peak at what’s hidden inside your pie.

The resulting pie was delicious. I served it on an apple shaped plate my mum had given me for my birthday a few months back. It was the perfect size, so it was obviously meant to be.

I modified my brown gluten free fibre pastry to use some lighter, whiter flours. It still turned out a little grey in colour when raw, but once baked it was a lovely golden brown and looked and tasted just like regular pastry – hurrah.

Thank you Monica. These were made with you in mind. Your blog, beaming smile and generosity of spirit never fail to brighten my day.

Cranberry & Apple Pocket Pie (GF)

Gluten Free Pastry (enough for 4-5 pies)
60g buckwheat flour
60g brown rice flour
40g tapioca starch
40g gram/chickpea flour
1½ tsp xanthan gum
20g icing sugar
1 egg
80g cold butter
2-3 tbsp cold water

Filling (enough for 2 pies, easily doubled)
1 large cooking apple
2 tbsp fresh cranberries
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp caster sugar for sprinkling

Gluten Free Pastry

Weigh the buckwheat, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, icing sugar and xanthan gum into a bowl. Sift in the gram/chickpea flour as it tends to be a little lumpy. Cut the cold butter into little cubes and rub it through the flour using the tips of your fingers, lifting them above the rim of the bowl and letting the flour fall back into it as you rub. Continue until all the butter has broken down and the mix contains some small clumps.
Lightly beat the egg, add to the flour mix and work in using a round bladed butter knife. Add two tablespoons of cold water and mix gently.
Tip the mix out onto a clean work surface (t may still look too dry at this stage) and switch to your hands and try to bring the mix together into a dough. If it still seems too dry add a little more water, a teaspoon at a time, until you are able to form a dough.
Knead the dough gently until smooth. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge to chill for 30 – 60 minutes while you make the filling.

Cranberry Apple Filling

Peel, core and dice the apple into 1-2cm pieces. Place into a small saucepan along with enough water to just cover the base of the pan. Heat until the apple begins to release its juices and go slightly soft around the edges.
Add the cranberries, ginger and sugar. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes until the apple is soft and tender and the cranberries popped and stained the apple a lovely pink colour. Taste, and add a little more sugar if you find it too tart.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Assembly

Preheat the oven to 190C and have a baking tray to hand.
Roll out the pastry in-between two sheets of clingfilm. Use the pocket pie to stamp out a top and bottom pastry pie piece.
Turn the pocket pie maker over and lay the pastry base into the hollow. Fill with the cooled cranberry and apple mixture, but do not overfill.
Brush the edges of the pie with a little water and place the pastry lid on top. Clamp the edges together using the pocket pie mould.
Transfer the pie to a baking tray and scatter over 1 teaspoon of caster sugar. Repeat with the leftover pastry until the filling is used up.
Bake for 18-20 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden.
Eat straight away while still hot.
Makes enough filling for two pies, but pastry enough for 4-5 pies. The filling can be easily doubled if you want to make lots of pies (I used the leftover pastry to make some gluten free mince pies)