Makes 12
The buttery shortbread pastry couldn't be simpler. It's made as a crumb and pressed directly into the tin, so there's no water, no rolling and no resting. Each pie is generously filled with caramelised Bramley apples flavoured with lemon, cinnamon, vanilla and just a hint of clove, then finished with more buttery shortbread crumble.
Serve them warm or cold with a generous spoonful — or two — of cream.
WATCH: Bake Better with Mich Turner MBE
See exactly how I make my Individual Apple Pies with Crumble Shortbread pastry - including my no-roll, no-rest shortbread technique.
Ingredients
Crumble shortbread pastry
- 225g chilled unsalted butter, diced
- 350g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 100g golden caster sugar
- Pinch of salt
Spiced Bramley apple filling
- 2–3 medium Bramley apples, peeled and cored
- 50g unsalted butter
- 50g soft brown sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1–2 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste
- Pinch of ground cloves
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
To serve
Method
1. Prepare the apple filling
Finely chop or grate the peeled and cored Bramley apples.
Melt the butter in a pan over a gentle heat. Add the apples, brown sugar, lemon juice and zest, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla.
Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened and caramelised and any excess liquid has cooked away. Remove from the heat and allow the filling to cool completely before assembling the pies.
2. Make the crumble shortbread pastry
Preheat the oven to 175°C fan.
Place the flour, golden caster sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the chilled diced butter and rub everything together with your fingertips until you have a buttery, crumbly mixture.
Don't bring the mixture together into a conventional pastry dough. There is no water to add, no pastry to roll and no need to rest it.
3. Form the individual pie cases
Divide generous handfuls of shortbread crumb between the 12 wells of the tin.
Use your fingertips to press the mixture firmly and evenly over the base and up the sides to create individual pastry cases, making sure there are no particularly thin areas.
4. Fill the pies
Spoon the cooled spiced Bramley apple mixture generously into each pastry case.
5. Add the crumble topping
Scatter the remaining shortbread mixture generously over the apples. Gather up any stray crumbs and add them back to the pies.
Gently press around the edges to enclose the filling, then give the tops a final light press while retaining their lovely crumble texture.
6. Bake
Bake at 175°C fan for approximately 25 minutes, until the shortbread is beautifully golden.
Leave the pies in the tin for a few minutes after baking. The shortbread will be delicate while very hot but firms as it cools.
Carefully lift the pies from the tin and transfer to a wire cooling rack.
7. Serve
Serve warm or cold with plenty of double cream.
Bake Better with Mich
Keep the filling cool. Allow the caramelised apples to cool completely before filling the pastry cases.
Keep the butter cold. You're looking for a short, buttery crumb rather than a conventional pastry dough.
Balance the sweetness. Tart Bramley apples and fresh lemon beautifully balance the sweet, buttery shortbread.
Don't waste a crumb. Gather up every stray piece of shortbread and use it on the crumble tops.
Give them time to settle. Leave the freshly baked pies in the tin for a few minutes before removing them. They'll become easier to handle as the shortbread firms.
Storage & freezing
The apple pies will keep for up to 5 days stored in an airtight container.
They are also suitable for freezing. Allow the baked pies to cool completely before freezing.
Defrost thoroughly before serving. To enjoy them warm, place in a moderate oven until warmed through and the shortbread has regained its lovely crisp texture.
“This is what I call personal perfection. You have all the comfort of a traditional apple crumble with individual elegant presentation.”
— Mich Turner MBE