Pentagram Pie
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 6
Serves: 16 pies
- 4 sheets/800g/28ozs. shortcrust pastry
- 400g/14ozs. apples, peeled and diced
- 400g/14ozs. strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 cup/250ml/8.8flozs water
- 2/3 cup/145g/5ozs. white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon water to make eggwash
Step 1 - Place the frozen sheets of pastry in the fridge to thaw for a couple of hours before you get started. Make the filling. Place the apples, strawberries, water and sugar in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer with the lid on for 15-20 minutes or until the fruit is soft. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and mash up the fruit. Strain the liquid (it makes a great cordial) and allow to cool.
Step 2 - Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Take your mini pie cases and cut out the thawed pastry to fit both the base and sides and press down to fit the tins. If the pastry isn't thawed enough the pastry will break so just make sure that it is soft enough to manipulate. Dock the pastry with a fork and bake for 15 minutes or until golden and cooked.
Step 3 - While it is baking cut the pastry into thin strips around 5mm/0.2inches thick using a knife or pizza cutter and a ruler. If it is too soft and hard to cut place it in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up and then cut it.
Step 4 - Fill the pastry cases with the fruit filling smoothing it over with a butter knife or angled spatula. Then take a strip of pastry and fashion a pentagram (see pics above). I find it easiest to draw a diagram showing the order of the pieces and then trim them to fit the edge of the tart. Brush the pentagram on top with eggwash and bake at 180C/350F for 18-20 minutes. These pies freeze well too - place in a container with parchment paper between each layer. These will freeze well for 2 months.