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.
Savory Apple, Gorgonzola & Thyme Pies
Sweet and savory mini apple hand pies, perfect and portable for a picnic. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
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!
Mary, it’s always a picnic to visit. Those pocket pies are calling my name!
this sounds so good … i love apples and gorgonzola. (I’m beginning to wonder what I don’t love … i seem to always love what you do! Perhaps its just GMTA???!!!)
xx
I love little pies. They so remind me of my mother and grandmother though theirs were never so cute. The combination of ingredients here sound absolutely yummy. Is ill be trying these very soon.
Your posts are always a delight to read…they brighten my day!
So stinkin’ cute in that little size!! I ♥♥♥ Gorgonzola on ANYTHING but never would have thought to put it in an apple pie. Very different & intriguing, Mary & very creatively presented. You never disappoint!
Mary, what a clever idea to incorporate gorgonzola with the little apple hand pies (I just Elise’s Simply Recipes site.) Our local artisan cheese company makes “Oregonzola”, Oregon’s version of gorgonzola! I’d love to try this recipe, I can just imagine the delicious play on sweet/savory flavors.
Love your apple dish ware, linen, and that quilt!
oops. I meant I just adore Elise’s website! Have a wonderful day…
i am wild over these darling little pies! cheese and thyme makes them sound so mouthwatering to me i can’t stop tasting them in my mouth! too bad they don’t have the large ones anymore, i want a big meaty bite, not some wee morsel!
i always adore ALL your photos, its the attention to details i can count on for pure entertainment! even if it may have been x rated ;-0
a beautiful picnic and a gorgeous tutorial on how to be just like you… but let me assure you, my pies would be scared and oozing and never up to your snuff no mater how many times i tried! thanks for making me so hungry i am racing to the kitchen before the light has even hit the horizon~
What adorable apple savory pies, Mary! You’re just so creative in your cooking and your presentation. xo
I’m so enjoying Apple Week! Just look at these adorable mini pies–even your dough is beautiful! Love the little window into the filling–so pretty and appetizing. The different apples will add a beguiling melody. I have the same mold from WS, and I’m putting the pies on my menu for Thanksgiving. Gorgeous photos!! xxoo
Since cheese and appkes are the perfect pairing to me, thiese sound WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!
I can tell that you so enjoy cooking…as what follows with fabulous table settings and the best decorations/props are so obvious that it is truly a labor of love…and it so shows!!!…Loved this!!!
Beautiful quilt and your apple pies look delish.
Mary,
Those pies look so wonderful to me. I couldn’t stand that the mold was discontinued and I could no longer buy it. So I decided to check EBay. I was so happy to find brand new molds for sale there. I am delighted to be able to make some of these darling little pies for Thanksgiving. Thanks so much for the inspiration. :)
Yum, just the thought of apples and gorgonzola and my mouth is watering.
– The Tablescaper
I cannot wait to make these luscious little pies Mary! But I don’t have those cute little apple pans, they won’t be nearly as good! Totally off the charts adorable, thanks so much for the recipe!
Jenna
What a wonderful combination of flavors!!
Your pies look delicious, but the way you display things is fantastic. Even s stick of butter in the paper!
Dear Mary, These mini apple pies sound delicious and they looks so delightful. I love how you set your picnic…it couldn’t have come out more perfect. Blessings my dear, your friend, Catherine xo
Gorgeous post!
I have been really missing my blogging this year.
Missed so many of your wonderful posts!
Love these little apple pie tarts, Darling!
Hi Mary, I need to stop reading your blog when I’m hungry! That is an interesting combination of ingredients for the filling with the gorgonzola and thyme. I think I would like it! I love honey. Apple week is such a great idea. I can’t wait to see what the novel bakers come up with next time! Linda
Your apple pocket pies are so cute, and I love the sweet/savory idea. Yum! The apple shape really adds to their a-peel… :)