You’ll have to forgive the way these look. I tried to do something cutesy to it using an Apple shaped pastry cutter for the top but I think something got lost in the translation and they didn’t quite look as Apple-y as I would have liked. Were you here in my kitchen I could’ve stifled any snickering with one of these pies and that would have silenced any criticism. This recipe below uses the Cindy Crawford Saveur magazine pie crust adapted a little and the filling was a mix of thing that I thought would go well with apple, nothing earth shattering there with the usual suspects: nutmeg, cinnamon and maple syrup.
I made these to take on a picnic, and they were a resounding hit. Even my husband who eschews pastry was smitten with these. The apple filling has a nice, thick consistency (unlike the runny Strawberry pie) and the pie crust is divinely crumbly and delicious with an almost shortbready crumble to it. Of course you could make one large pie using the same amount of crust but you may want to use more apples and you don’t need to cut them as small. They do shrink down to about 1/2 the uncooked volume so keep that in mind. And don’t forget the vent the top. If you prefer your pie filling runnier, you could reduce the amount of cornflour, as it was my husband described the texture as like the apple in a McDonald’s Apple Pie at which I was first horrified to hear but upon reflection agreed, and Apple Pies are one of the things that I will eat there.
You could serve these as they are for a picnic or with some whipped maple cream (combine 1/2 cup of whipped cream with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup) for afternoon tea. Whatever you do, try one shortly after it’s been out of the oven, once it has cooled a little. It’s absolutely delicious then and that’s when the pastry is at its best.
I’ve added some changes in brackets to a couple of the ingredients in order to make it vegan friendly as this is my entry for Libby’s The Allergic Kid Thanks for “Nothing” Thanksgiving Roundup! 
Apple and Maple Tartlets
An original recipe by Not Quite Nigella
Makes 10 pies
For Pastry
- 2 2/3 cups plain flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 6 tablespoons of cold milk (or soy milk if making it vegan)
For filling
- 4-5 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into small pieces
- 1 cup raw sugar (you could use white, I just like raw for the colour and texture)
- 4-5 tablespoons of maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/3 cup cornflour
- 3 tablespoons of butter cut into small pieces (or Nuttelex if making it vegan)
- 2 tablespoons of milk for brushing (or soy milk if making it vegan)
Also:
- 10 individual pie tins diameter 10cms in diameter at the top rim
- 1 round cutter 11cms diameter
- Apple shaped cutter (or round cutter)
Preheat oven to 200c
To make pastry:
1. Mix flour, salt and sugar. Measure oil and milk together but don’t stir together. Pour the milk and oil into flour until combined and resembling a pastry. If it doesn’t come together add a little more milk.
2. Roll out pastry on greaseproof paper with a rolling pin (it will be hard to roll as small bits flake off, the greaseproof paper is the best thing to combat this) and cut out 10 circles and 10 apple shapes to top them with. Place pastry in freezer while you get the filling together. I prefer to do this than cut the apples beforehand and use lemon but that’s just a personal preference, if you cut the apples beforehand and add lemon juice, just put them straight into the pie shells.
3. Mix all of the filling ingredients except for the butter together until combined well. Spoon into pie shells and dot with the butter cubes. Place apple shaped pastry cut outs on top and brush with milk and bake in 200c oven for 15 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes and dust with icing sugar if desired. Serve with cream or ice cream.
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18 Comments | Add your own
They look wonderful to me! I didn’t notice anything wrong with them.
Don’t worry about the translation, it all came through very well for me, they look great!
These look awesome! I am a sucker for anything that involves pastry.
Ooh, yummy, these look fantastic. I rarely (ie. never) make pastry. Do you mix it by hand or electric?
I would love to have you stuff one in my mouth. There would be no snickering I assure you!
mmmmm!
i love that picture with the diced apple+sugary+spice mixture.
personally, i prefer my filling to be thicker, like yours NQN.
i don’t want to drip it all down my front.
can i ask for your recommendations as to where to buy those pie cases, NQN?
thanks in advance!
*drool*
Apples and pastry…is there anything better in this world?!
And don’t worry about the ‘apple splodge’ pastry’. It looks fine. In fact I noticed the apple shape straight off!
Must try these soon (once I get over my trepidation of DIY pastry!).
Oh my – these are heavenly! Apple + maple syrup + cinnamon = divine. I think the pastry apples look like apples – much better than some of the funny lookin’ shapes that I have tried this year. I’m always after a good pastry recipe, so I will have to bear this one in mind.
Hi Blond Duck-Ahh cool, thanks for saying that!
Hi Cappucino-haha ok that’s good that it’s coming through loud and clear
Hi Annie-Thankyou! Me too! I love pastry a bit too much
Hi belle-This one is really easy, I mix it by hand with a fork or a large spoon. The only thing is the rolling, as it’s not a rested dough (which is good if you’re in a hurry) it is a bit more resistant to rolling but not impossible by any means
Hi Barbara-Hehe cool! Non snickerers are more than welcome at my table
Hi the projectivist-Yes I always think thick pie fillings always look and taste so much better! I got the pie cases from my father who used to work as in the food tech section of a company. But perhaps bakeries that make custard tarts would sell some?
Hi Karen-Nope not really!
Oh good, so glad it was recognisable (nothing worse than people saying “What is it supposed to be?”)
Hi Cakelaw-This pastry recipe is really delicious and doesn’t shrink very much and is really hardy so I wholeheartedly recommend it! Can’t wait to see what lovely creations you make using it!
forgive how they look? no problem. they sound yummy, and it’d be difficult for me to try just one right out of the oven. try three or four.
Hi grace-I’m so glad! They are seriously good straight out of the oven, it’s best to put a security guard between the oven and the waiting mouth!
Aren’t these just the sweetest little tartlets ever? I’ll definitely be giving them a try!
Hi Sandie-brilliant, I’d love to know what you think of them
Correct me if I’m wrong but is this pie crust Cindy Crawfords? The model?
And until I read this post.. I had never heard of maple cream! You keep educating me
These would be an instant hit with so many! Is it hard to get these little foil pie tins in the supermarket?
Hi Maria-You are correct indeed! She made it on Oprah although the original pie crust recipe is from Saveur magazine.
Thanks so much
My dad got a whole lot of those pie tins and they’ve sat in my cupboard for years. I’ve never really looked for them in the supermarket although I wonder if bakeries would sell them?
Hi NQN! I had this sudden urge to bake on Sunday and decided to try your recipe since I had the ingredients! They turned out gorgeous though I modified it and pressed the pasty into egg tart tins and ended up making 20 of them minus the pastry on top. I didn’t have an apple shaped cutter
Thanks for the recipe though!! Hubby loved it and so did his colleagues!
Hi Min-Oh yayyy! I’m so glad that your husband and colleagues liked it. It’s one of my favourite apple recipes ever
these look awesome! it is my bf’s 30th on the weekend and im thinking I might make him one! ( a vegan one of course)
thanks again for considering us vegans!!
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