Throughout the summer months I hardly seem to bake, but as soon as the first fresh apples appear ready to pick or buy the oven goes on, and my baking restarts. This delicious fall dessert is one of our family favourites for weekends. I love the combination of apples and pecans with the maple syrup it’s perfect served with ice cream. So here you go our simple recipe for apple and pecan mini pies.

pinnable image for apple pie sacks with pecans and maple syrpup, the image shows the rustic pastry pies filled with apples and pecans on a paper surface with pistachios and pecans spread around plus a spoon with fine sugar on to sprinkle on the top.

Apple Sacks

Whilst I love apple pies this version is great as the sacks open up as they cook and you get a little mini bowl made with the pastry.

freshly picked apples made into a delicious country pie with nuts the pies are pinched and you can see the filling in the middle on a piece of greaseproof paper with an icing sugar spoon

It is homemade pastry (you could switch for store-bought ready-to-roll if you wish) but I love the taste of the homemade pastry.

pouring maple syrup into the bowls of the rustic apple and pecan pies

Tips for Making Homemade Pastry

Many people shy away from making homemade pastry, but short crust pastry that is used in this recipe is really easy to make and not at all fiddly. Here’s some top tips for making pastry at home.

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1. Make sure everything is cold

I have a pastry board that I use it’s a small piece of marble and is always a lot cooler than the kitchen.

I wash my hands and then hold them under the cold tap to make sure that they are cool as well.

cold fats in a bowl of flour ready to make pastry

Then the fats used come straight from the fridge just before I make the pastry not a moment sooner.

rolled out dough with pie filling in place on a cold surface to prevent the pastry from warming up

My grandma had a fantastic rolling pin that kept the pastry cool as well, you filled it will cold water and chilled it prior to making pastry. It kept the weight as well as didn’t warm up the dough – if you don’t have one then a marble one is a good investment if you are going to make a lot of pastry.

2. Keep Handling to a Minimum

You really don’t want to overwork the mixture, first of all, it will warm up and then you will also get tough pastry as the dough is kneaded too much.

making pastry by hand using a pastry tool to minimise contact with warm hands

You can of course use your hands but how about investing in a pastry tool. It makes blending the flours and fast so much easier.

3. Cool it down again

Before you roll and cut you need to make sure that you put the pastry in the fridge to cool and rest. I leave at least 30 minutes for this but sometimes much longer.

pastry dough mixed and ready to go in the fridge to cool down and rest before making into pies

4. Never Skip Preheating the oven

Pastry cooks best when it goes from a cool environment too hot! Don’t skip the preheating as you’ll end up with pastry with a soggy bottom which isn’t ideal.

apple and pecan pies on a piece of greaseproof paper with icing sugar and syrup beside ready to pour

Yield: 10-12

Apple Sacks Recipe

A tasty mini apple pie that is filled with pecans and maple syrup great for fall desserts.

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

Filling Ingredients List:

8 apples
1 cup pecans, chopped

Pastry Dough Ingredients List:

2 ¾ cup flour
½ cup semolina flour
2 tbsp corn flour
½ tbsp salt
2 sticks + 6 tbsp cold butter
¾ cup cold water

Syrup:

2 cups water
½ cup sugar
½ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Other Ingredients:

2 egg yolks

Instructions

Prepare apples, by peeling and chopping to approximately ½ inch cubes. Cover and set aside.
Then prepare the syrup by bringing water, sugar, and maple syrup to a boil. Stir and simmer until all the sugar is dissolved.
Add apple cubes and simmer until apples are tender. Drain apples and reserve syrup. Combine pecans with apples. Set aside.
Place the reserved syrup back into a pot and simmer until reduced and more similar to maple syrup consistency. Let it cool and then add in the vanilla.
Next, prepare the pastry dough by blending the flours, cornstarch, and salt together. Cut in butter until small and crumbly. Slowly stir in water until combined. Do not over mix as it makes the pastry tough. Set in a covered bowl in the refrigerator until ready to roll.
Roll pastry to approximately 1/8” thick. Cut out 6” circles. Brush egg yolk onto each pastry circle.
Divide apples and pecan mixture among all the pastry circles, approximately 1/3 cup each.
Gather and pinch/crimp edges of dough up around the filling to form a semi-open bag of apples. The bags will open during baking, so pinch them almost closed.
Brush the tops and sides with egg yolks.
Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes.
Top with syrup, ice cream, more nuts, and/or whipping cream.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 476Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 425mgCarbohydrates: 69gFiber: 5gSugar: 32gProtein: 6g

More Fall Recipes for Families

Looking for more recipes for fall for you to cook for your family check these ones out below

Country Apple and Pecan Pie Recipe with Maple Syrup

Apple Sacks

Tips for Making Homemade Pastry