I haven’t posted a recipe in a while because I’m kinda sofa surfing at the moment and don’t really have anywhere to cook, luckily one of my good friends is letting me cook at their house so I don’t go mad. I saw this thing on the TV one morning about this bakery where they make their pie crusts with vodka and had to try it, I was like “What madness is this?” but after a little searching I found out that there are many reasons to replace some of the water in you pie crust with vodka, 1) it evaporates a lot easier, leaving a crisp crust, 2) it tenderises the gluten strands in the pastry meaning for a tender, flakier pastry and 3) you can tell people there is vodka in your pastry to seem cool. But seriously, it does make a crazy crisp crust, and a nice crisp crust is perfect for these apple hand pies in this crisp weather!
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 cup diced vegetable shortening/ baking block
1/4 cup cold vodka
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
2 tbsp unrefined golden caster sugar
1/4 cup ice-cold water
For the filling:
3/4 unrefined golden caster sugar
1 tsp cornflour
Zest from 1 orange
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice (apple pie spice)
4 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced
Method:
To make the pastry, combine the sugar, salt and flour in a mixing bowl. Rub in the fat. Mix in the vodka, then add the water a little at a time until you have a firm yet rollable dough. Wrap dough in cling film and place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200c/400f and line a baking sheet with baking paper. To make the filling simply mix together all the filling ingredients in a mixing bowl then toss the apple slices in the filling mix, set aside and roll out the pastry dough to 1/4 cm thick approx. Using a small bowl or plate as a guide, cut out 6-8 circles of pastry, re rolling the dough if necessary. Grab one of the circles of pastry and fill on half of it with the filling, leaving a few cm’s space from the edge to seal the pastry. Brush the edge of the pastry and fold it over, now either crimp the pastry or press the edges together with a fork. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the circles of pastry. Once you have shaped all you hand pies, brush with vegan milk or water and slice a small cross in the top (to allow the hot air to escape) and bake for about 25 minutes, until the pastry has started to turn a golden brown and is nice and crisp.
I had heard about the vodka in crusts once–can’t remember where–and have never tried it–and had therefore forgotten about it. I am TERRIBLE with crusts, so thanks for this reminder. Maybe I can actually achieve a successful one now . . .
I wish you many a fabulous pie, hope the vodka works out for you!
Thank you!
“you can tell people there is vodka in it pastry to be cool” … this is definitely my method 😉 apple pie sounds VERY good right now, yours look perfect!
Well, it is booze season, AND pie season, what’s not to love??
Wow! I’;; have to try this next time!
Let me know if you give ieeet a go
What a quirky idea! Very cool.
The best ideas are the crazy ones…
Too bad the vodka cooks out! It’d make these even MORE delicious! 🙂
yeah, if it didnt cook out I’d wanna try whisky and other alchz
And wine! 🙂
sounds great – I think there is some raspberry vodka at the back of the cupboard – would be fun to experiment with flavoured vodka for this
I would love to know how using flavoured vodka works out, let me know if it works! 😀
I might be a girly with skills in the cooking department (I bloody better well have as I paid for 2 years of study to get them!) BUT pastry is my arch nemesis. I think you might just have found the perfect way for me to make pastry. If it works BOO-YAH! If it doesn’t I still have most of the bottle of vodka to down and “forgedaboudit!” either way WIN.
We all have our weakness, my mum can make scones to save her life! Pre-vegan I could never poach an egg……
Poach eggs (shudder…)
This is SO cool! I’ve never heard of using vodka in pastries before, but now, it makes so much sense. I’ll have to try this out sometime!
These Apple hand pies look so very appetizing!!. A lovely crust too. 😃