Things have not been going tremendously well in the “time management” department these days … that is to say, “real life” has been so busy, that Cup of Sugar :: Pinch of Salt has taken a bit of a back burner (no pun intended). It’s overall tremendously frustrating, that. But in an attempt to make myself feel better, and it’s a misty miserable morning, I made these mini-pies, aka breakfast strudels. Pie for breakfast: always a cure all.
Ingredients
For the pastry
2 cups plain flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/4 cup) cold butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
For the filling
1 cup apple, peeled, cored and cut to 1/4 inch dice
1 cup wild blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water, for slurry
1 egg, mixed with 1 tablespoon of cold water, for egg wash
Directions
In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add the cold butter and pulse until only pea sized lumps remain in your mixture. In a small bowl, beat the egg with the milk. Add the mixture all at once to the dry ingredients and pulse until moisture is introduced to all of the flour mixture. Lightly dust a clean surface with flour and knead the dough until it starts to hold together. Divide the dough in two, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, combine apple, lemon juice, sugar and salt. Let come to a boil and then simmer 5 minutes, until the apples are soft. Add the blueberries and cook for an additional minute o two, Then the corn starch slurry. Let return to a rolling boil to start thickening, stirring all the while. Once the mixture starts to thicken (usually just a minute or two), remove from the heat and add the cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. Set aside to partially cool before continuing.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare cookie sheets with silpat or parchment paper
Remove one piece of dough from the refrigerator. On a well floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/3 inch (4mm) thick. Using a 3 inch round pastry cutter, cut out 6 rounds. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the apple blueberry mixture onto one of one of the rounds, leaving about 1/8 inch of space before the edge. Place another dough round on top of the mixture and seal the edges together with the tines of a fork. Repeat with remaining dough. Make the egg wash by whisking egg together with water. Brush each pie with egg wash and make a few small vent holes on the top. Alternatively, you can use a very small cookie cutter to cut vent holes in the top pastry (note that you have to do this before you assemble the hand pies though, obviously).
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack for at least a few minutes before serving (can be eaten warm or cold).
