Novel Baking: Apple, Gorgonzola & Thyme Mini Pies

I’m back with a recipe for a

Apple, Gorgonzola, and Thyme Pies

from my Apple Picnic with The Novel Bakers!

Our book selection and apple inspiration for the week,

freshly picked by Jain:

The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs.

I filled my individual pies/ turnovers with an Apple, Gorgonzola & Thyme filling but you can adapt this recipe for pocket pies with the filling of your choice, sweet or savory.

My Apple Pocket Pie Mold from Williams-Sonoma is unfortunately no longer available. These is a similar one available from Amazon.

(Without a mold, you can cut a circle with a bowl as template, fold and crimp the edges with a fork, for a traditional shaped pie or turnover.)

I used the rim of the mold to cut the pastry dough into an apple shape complete with a mini-apple vent in the top crust. Arrange the dough inside the mold, fill the inner pocket with your preferred ingredients, then close the top to seal and crimp!

I used refrigerated pie crusts for these pocket pies but if you want to make your own, there is a wonderful cream cheese pastry dough recipe from Kraft I’ve used for my Pocket Plum Pies, here.

This is a large size mold.

I got 2 bottoms and 2 tops per prepared pie crust, then rerolled the scraps, so I had 12 pies or turnovers out of 2 boxes of refrigerated pie crust, with some filling left over.

Savory Apple, Gorgonzola & Thyme Pies,

adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients

Prepared pastry dough or pie crusts

1 1/2 cups peeled, cored, chopped baking apple (Jonagold, Pippin, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Braeburn, Fuji and Pink Lady, Honeycrisp) or use prepared apple pie filling

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola (or similar bleu cheese)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 Tbsp honey

prepared pastry or refrigerated pie crust

1 egg,  lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water

 sanding sugar

Directions 

 *Place diced apples in a bowl, microwave on high for 5 minutes until apples are cooked through. Remove from heat and let cool. (*If using pie filling skip this step.)

Combine apples, walnuts, Gorgonzola, thyme and honey in a small bowl.

Place a solid dough shape in the bottom half of the cutter and gently press the dough into the mold. Fill the center with 1/4 cup pie filling mixture and brush edges of the dough with egg wash. Top with a shape with the vent for the top. Press the top half of the cutter down to seal and crimp the edges.

Remove the pie from the mold and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Freeze the pies 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Remove the pies from freezer and brush the pies with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until crust is golden and filling is gently bubbling, about 15 – 20 minutes. Transfer on wire rack and cool 10 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Print Recipe

Savory Apple, Gorgonzola & Thyme Pies

Sweet and savory mini apple hand pies, perfect and portable for a picnic. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Keyword: apple turnover, gorgonzola, hand pie, mini pies, sweet and savory

Servings: 12 hand pies

Equipment

• apple mini pie mold

Ingredients

• 1 box (of 2) refrigerated piecrusts or prepared pastry dough
• 1 1/2 cups peeled, cored, chopped baking apples (Jonagold, Pippin, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Braeburn, Fuji and Pink Lady, Honeycrisp) or use prepared apple pie filling
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or similar bleu cheese
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 egg lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water
• sanding sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Place diced apples in a bowl, microwave on high for 5 minutes until apples are cooked through. Remove from heat and let cool. (If using pie filling skip this step.)
• Combine apples, walnuts, Gorgonzola, thyme and honey in a small bowl.
• Place a solid dough shape in the bottom half of the cutter and gently press the dough into the mold. Fill the center with 1/4 cup pie filling mixture and brush edges of the dough with egg wash. Top with a shape with the vent for the top. Press the top half of the cutter down to seal and crimp the edges.
• Remove the pie from the mold and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Freeze the pies 30 minutes before baking.
• Remove the pies from freezer and brush the pies with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until crust is golden and filling is gently bubbling, about 15 – 20 minutes. Transfer on wire rack and cool 10 minutes.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Quantity will depend on size of your mold or press. I used a large size mold and got 2 bottoms and 2 tops per prepared pie crust, then rerolled the scraps, so I had 12 pies or turnovers out of 2 boxes of refrigerated pie crust, with some filling left over.

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Joining The Novel Bakers for Apple Week:

Visit Jain and  Michael Lee  for more delicious fun!

 a quiet life

Rattlebridge Farm 

Thank you for your visit!