Apple Hand Pies, by Kira

Mmmm pie......

With an abundance of apples and left over lard from last years hogs, Fern and I thought we needed to make apple hand pies.

For the crust, I adapted the basic crust recipe from A Year Of Pies, by Ashley English.

2 1/2 cups of spelt light flour

1 1/4 teaspoons of salt

6 tablespoons of butter

3/4 cup of lard

One egg + 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar + enough ice water to equal 3/4 cup.

In a large bowl mix the salt and flour together.

For the lard and butter, I put it through the shredder in my food processor frozen.

(The key to good pastry is to keep everything cold and don't overwork the dough.)

Mix the shredded lard and butter with the flour.

Slowly drizzle the water, egg, vinegar mixture over the flour and lard.

Work the mixture together until it all sticks together. You may need a little more liquid.

Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Dice six apples and toss with a little lemon juice, a tablespoon or two of raw honey, and lots of true cinnamon. I also added a handful of chia seeds to the mix!

Preheat the oven to 350.

Roll the pastry out and using a medium size soup bowl cut circles out of the pastry.

Add a tablespoon or two of your apple mixture into the middle of the circles (or however much fits comfortably).

Using a little egg and water mixture , paint the rim of the circles (this helps to seal the pies).

Fold the circle in half and flute the edge.

Bake the pies on a cookie sheet for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

They are wonderful served with fresh cream and black coffee.