Granulated sugar for sprinkling, about 2 teaspoons
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 200C / 400F (not fan-assisted).
Peel, core and dice the apples into 1/2-inch cubes. You will end up with about 250 grams (about 3 cups) of apple cubes. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat. When the butter has stopped foaming, add in the apple cubes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the apples have softened.
Add in dark brown sugar and cinnamon and stir to mix them with the apples. Lower the heat to low and continue to cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool while you prepare the puff pastry.
Dust a baking parchment with plain flour. Unroll the puff pastry on top of the baking parchment and dust with a little bit of plain flour. Roll it out to make it thinner, slightly thinner than 1/8-inch thick. Divide the puff pastry into 8 pieces.
Divide the apples and the caramel/juices among 4 pieces of puff pastry. Brush the edges with the beaten egg then top each piece with another puff pastry, stretching slightly so that the edges of both puff pastries meet each other. Press down on the edges with your fingers to seal them together. Use a fork and press down on the edges of the puff pastries to help to seal them together and for decoration.
Slide the baking parchment (with the apple pies) onto a baking sheet. Brush the apple puffs with a thin layer of beaten egg. Use a knife and cut slits on the top puff pastry (don't cut all the way through) for steam to be released. Sprinkle caster sugar all over the top of the apple puffs (the egg will help the sugar to stick on top).
Bake the apple pies in the lower rack for 18 to 20 minutes until golden-brown, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Let the apple pies cool slightly before serving. The pies are best served warm but will still taste awesome at room temperature. You can warm up the apple pies in a toaster oven or a preheated 180C / 355F oven for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Store leftovers (if any) in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
NOTES
- If your puff pastry comes in a roll instead of sheets, it's best to thaw the pastry overnight in the refrigerator before using.- You can also cut the puff pastry into 4 long strips and fold them over to enclose the apples.- Do bake the apple pies on a silpat or baking parchment as the caramel might leak and clean-up will be a lot easier.- Adapted from Natasha's Kitchen