Apple Hand Pies with Vodka Pastry

These deliciously seasonal pies may not get you drunk, but the addition of vodka gives you a nice crisp crust as it tenderises the gluten strands in the pastry meaning for a tender, flakier pastry. 

Vegan apple hand pies with vodka pastry 

By Alexander Willow-Harvey 

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 300g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
• 225g (1 cup) diced vegetable shortening/ baking block
• 60ml (1/4 cup) cold vodka
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 Tbsp unrefined golden caster sugar
• 60ml (1/4 cup) ice-cold water

For the filling:

• 150g (3/4 cup) 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

1. Preheat the oven to 200c/400f and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
2. 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.
3. Wrap dough in cling film and place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
4. 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.
5. Using a small bowl or plate as a guide, cut out 6-8 circles of pastry, re rolling the dough if necessary.
6. 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.
7. Brush the edge of the pastry with plant milk and fold it over. Now either crimp the pastry with your fingers, or press the edges together with a fork.
8. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the circles of pastry.
9. Once you have shaped all your 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.