Apple Pies

I haven't blogged in 2 weeks!?!? Yikes. I have been baking, not as much as I would love to but I have been! I just haven't gotten down to blogging. So here is a quick and dirty recipe for simple apple pies (adapted from Williams-Sonoma) that are great for breakfast. I didn't even take a lot of photos of these pies because I have been rather out of sorts lately. I'm still figuring out what it is that is happening.

Apple Pies

(bakes 16 pies of 5cm diameter)

- 2 1/2 cups flour

- 1 teaspoon + a pinch of salt

- 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar

- 2 sticks unsalted butter (cold)

- 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

- 3 red apples

- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

- coarse sugar for sprinkling

Egg wash:

- 1 egg

- 1 tablespoon water

1. Whisk together flour, 1 teaspoon salt and white sugar.

2. Make sure the butter is cold - cut it into small cubes and add it to the flour mixture.

3. Beat it until it resembles coarse crumbs (this could take up to 5 - 8 mins).

4. Mix in 6 tablespoons of ice water until the dough comes together and it shouldn't be sticky. If it doesn't add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of ice water, one teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together.

5. Divide the dough into 2, shape them into disks and cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate it for 2 hours.

6. Meanwhile, chop the apples into small cubes and mix in the ground cinnamon.

7. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. When the dough is ready, take them out and let it come to room temperature after 15 mins. Then, on a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the disks to 1/16 inch thick.

8. You can use a cookie cutter of a round shape or oval shape to cut out the dough. Place the cut outs on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat the same with the other disk of dough.

9. Scoop 1 - 2 tablespoons of chopped apples onto the cut outs. (I only had about a tablespoon of chopped apples and I found it to be too little). Then brush the edges with the egg wash.

10. Use another cut out to cover the ones with the chopped apples and make indents all around the edges with a fork. Then brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle coarse sugar all over.

11. Bake for 20 mins until the top is golden brown.

I just realised nothing of the first paragraph made sense right? Ha! In short, I have been feeling quite "all over the place". I dropped an egg last week, I dropped a tray of muffins while taking it out from the oven, the kitchen is in a bigger mess than usual when I bake because I seem to have left my brain somewhere else these days. And now I can't even seem to write a proper posting! ARGH!!!!!