do you have your pumpkins yet?
our gorgeous fairy tale pumpkins would love your home! they’re magic.
so many varieties of apples are still available to pick!
our granny smith apples are now ripe!
you will find our empire, ambrosia, cortland, idared, red delicious, golden delicious,
smoothie, russet, jonagold, and mutsu apples too.
our idared apples are particularly wonderful baked…
baked apples in pastry
warm spiced apples wrapped in a delicate pastry,
with a surprise of few toasted walnuts inside..
a special dessert to love.
you will need..
4 medium sized idared apples
2 cups of of our cider
3 whole cloves
a sprinkle of cardamom
1 star anise
3 slices of fresh ginger
you could also include a cinnamon stick or two.
(i am not a cinnamon fan..but lots of you are!)
4 ish tablespoons apple butter
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped into small pieces
1/2 tablespoon soft butter
for the pastry..
440 grams flour
220 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1-4 tablespoons ice water
extras
1 beaten egg
demerara sugar for sprinkling
or maple sugar.. i used both
2 baking trays, lined with parchment paper.
the apples..
peel and cut the apples in half.
core the apples with a melon baller.
place 2 cups of cider with the spices in a heavy pot.
place the apples, cut side down, in a steamer.
steam over simmering cider, covered for 6 minutes.
you don’t want the apples to be too soft.
remove the apples and let them cool completely.
covered in a fridge is perfect.
smother the cooled apples in a layer of apple butter.
this will keep them from drying out and also adds a lovely intense flavour.
for the pastry..
mix the flour, sugar and salt together. rub the cold butter into the flour until it becomes a crumbly mixture.
add the eggs and mix in.
add the water, a bit at a time until it makes a soft dough.
i needed almost the entire 4 tablespoons.
press the dough into a large flat disc, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.. overnight is ideal.
to assemble..
combine the walnuts and butter.
fill the core cavity of the apples with this mixture.
cut the dough into four, and roll one portion of the dough out on a lightly floured surface.
place one of the apples on top, cut side down.
cut the pastry a little larger than the apple.
cut another piece of pastry and gently drape it over the top.. and press in around the apple.
turn over and press the pastry to the bottom piece of pastry. dab a little water on the edges to help it stick.
i used scissors to cut the excess pastry off.
place on a parchment lined baking tray.
make some stems and leaves with the extra pastry.. with a cookie cutter, or freehand.
attach with a dab of water.
you can prop the leaves with a ball of dough, or a little ball of aluminum foil.
continue until all the apples have been wrapped in pastry.
chill, covered in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
(i left them overnight.)
preheat the oven to 350°.
brush the chilled apples and leaves with the beaten egg.
sprinkle with demerara sugar, or maple sugar.
discreetly poke a few holes in the pastry near the edges to let the steam escape.. i forgot this on a couple and the pastry split.
i poked the holes under a couple of the leaves and near the stems and also on the bottom edges with a toothpick.
bake for approximately 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.
check on them after 25.. you may need to rotate your baking tray. i did.. my oven has a hot spot.
serve warm.. with vanilla ice cream perhaps? a salted caramel sauce perhaps? both? enjoy!
the colours remain breathtaking in our valley!
let’s enjoy this gift of a warm weekend…
we’ll blow a little kiss back at the summer,
and save our favourite sweaters for the following weekend.
warm autumn hugs,
laura
carl laidlaw orchards
