Hello lovelies,
I don’t know about you guys but I’m a huge Mr Kipling fan. Every christmas without fail, we will treat ourselves to a box or two of their incredible apple and blackcurrant pies to enjoy whilst watching christmas TV.
As a baker, I’ve always liked the idea of making a batch of my own. So, if you couldn’t already tell by today’s recipe, I decided to bite the bullet and do a bake, completely inspired by a Mr Kipling pie.
Unlike Mr Kipling, I used a shortbread base and top, and then inspired by their fillings, I created my own apple and cranberry compote to go in the centre. Not to toot my own horn or blow my own trumpet but my word, these pies I made and I’m sharing with you today are just sensational.
Sweet, tart, melt-in-the-mouth delicious and ridiculously easy to make – what more could you possibly want from a pie?
So, if these Mr Kipling inspired pies have caught your attention and got you wanting to make a batch of your own, you know the drill. Keep on scrolling below and you’ll find today’s recipe.
Category: Sweet Treat
Servings: 12 Pies
Prep Time: 45 Minutes Overall
Bake Time: 12-15 Minutes
Overall Time: 1 Hour
Ingredients You Need For The Apple & Cranberry Compote:
- 2 Large Cooking Apples, Peeled, Cored & Chopped
- 300g Of Fresh Or Frozen Cranberries
- 120ml Of Maple Syrup
- 1tsp Of Vanilla Bean Paste / Extract
- 2.5tbsp Of Cornflour
- 27g Of Water
Ingredients You Need For The Shortbread Base & Topping:
- 113g Of Caster Sugar
- 226g Of Unsalted Butter
- 2tsp Of Vanilla Bean Paste / Extract
- 340g Of Plain Flour
- Dash Of Milk
- Demerara Sugar
How To Make The Apple & Cranberry Compote:
- Firstly, gather together your equipment and ingredients, line a cupcake tin with foil tin muffin cases and preheat the oven to 180C Fan / 160C Fan / Gas Mark 4
- Secondly, in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat, add the 2 chopped cooking apples, 300g of cranberries, 120ml of maple syrup and 1tsp of vanilla extract and bring to a simmer.
- Stirring occasionally, continue cooking for a further 8-10 minutes, until the compote has thickened.
- Next, in a cup, whisk together the 2.5tbsp of cornflour with 27g of water.
- Pour the cornflour slurry into the compote and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the compote is even thicker and paste-like.
- Transfer the compote into a small heat-proof bowl and place into the fridge to chill until completely cool.
How To Make The Shortbread Base & Topping:
- In a large bowl, cream together the 113g of caster sugar with the 226g of unsalted butter and 2tsp of vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the 340g of plain flour until a shortbread dough begins to form (TIP: if the mixture begins to look like bread crumbs, add in 2tsp of milk to bring the dough together.
- Once the dough is formed, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to around a pound coin thickness.
- Using a circle shaped cutter, cut out 12 shortbreads circles and gently press the shortbread into the tin foil cases.
- When all the tin foil cases are filled with the shortbread, place a tablespoon of compote into the centre of each shortbread base.
- Then, using the remaining leftover shortbread, cut out 12 smaller circles.
- Place the smaller circles ontop of compote and press the sides of the top shortbread with the base shortbread.
- Brush the tops of the pies with a dash of milk and if you have any shortbread left (which I did), cut out 12 little stars and place them on the top of the mince pie.
- Brush with a final thin layer of milk and a sprinkling of demerara sugar.
- Once all the above is done, place your pies in the oven for around 12-15 minutes, until the top of the pies are golden brown.
- Finally, when the shortbread has baked, remove from the oven and transfer the pies (whilst still in the tin foil cases) onto a wire rack and allow cool completely. Then, serve.
That’s your Apple & Cranberry Hand Pies prepared, assembled, baked and cooled, ready for you to enjoy this christmas!
Notes:
- These pies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- These pies can be frozen in an airtight container.
- Any type of compote or fruit filling will work in these pies.
- The tin foil cases are from Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/2aliC3B
See, I told you, it’s as easy as that! And damn, do they taste gooooood.
There’s nothing I love more than being inspired by an incredible pie like Mr Kipling and making my own version. I feel like this is where I thrive when it comes to baking!
Today’s pies were demolished as quickly as a packet of Mr Kipling’s would be, so I can guarantee they will be a hit in your household too.
Let me know in the comments below if you make these pies yourself and if you do, what your thoughts are on them. Are you a Mr Kipling fan? Did you make a batch of your own or will you just stick to buying the originals?
Sending you all tons of love & hugs as always,
Elle xo
