Recipe: Raspberry and apple hand pies with lemon drizzle

Feeding the Family

Recipes

Published on Sunday, 07 April 2019 11:02

Last Updated on 03 April 2019

Monica Costa

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Thanks to the lovely people at Love Fresh Berries, London Mums were given this exclusive recipe for Raspberry and apple hand pies with lemon drizzle. They are delicious and healthier than other puddings. Enjoy! If you make any, send us images via social media (ideally on the London Mums Facebook page). 

 

Makes 8 turnovers  prep 20 minutes plus 10 minutes freezing

Cook 25 minutes

 

Ingredients

2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped

150g raspberries

30g castor sugar

half tsp vanilla paste

1 tbsp cornflour

375 ready rolled shortcrust pastry

1 egg beaten for brushing

4 tbsps icing sugar

2 tsps lemon juice

Method

1. Preheat oven to 210c/190c fan assisted.  Place a baking tray in the oven to heat.  Roll the pastry a bit thinner so that its a half cm thick. Cut the dough into 8 (12cm x 12cm) squares.  Chill while you make the filling. 
2. In a medium bowl mix the apples with the raspberries, cornflour, sugar, and vanilla paste.  Mix together and set aside.  Arrange the 8 squares in a diamond shape.  Brush the edges with egg and divide the fruit between the squares situating the mixture on the lower half of the diamond.  Fold one corner over so that it becomes a triangle.  Use a fork to press the edges down.  Trim the excess dough, brush the tops with egg and place on a tray lined with non-stick baking paper. 
3. Freeze for 15 minutes or until hard.  Slice a few cuts on the top of each.  Place the paper and pastries on the hot baking tray and cook for 25 minutes or until golden.  Let cool on a rack.
4. In a small bowl mix together the icing sugar with the lemon juice.  Whisk until smooth.  When the pastries are done and cooled, drizzle the icing over.  

 

Berries instead of chocolate? Think! Berry Up at Eastertime

This Raspberry and apple hand pies with lemon drizzle is a recipe to try out with the kids during the forthcoming school holidays. Easter is a time to enjoy the festivities including family meals and chocolate egg hunts.  However, it is also rather easy for sugar intakes to skyrocket during this fun time.  For example, one survey looking at the sugar content of Easter eggs revealed that one medium chocolate egg provides around 23 teaspoons of sugar whilst ‘Extra-large’ Easter eggs with supplementary chocolate bars provide about 73 teaspoons.  Smaller chocolate bunnies provide anything between 13 and 28 teaspoons.

Government advice is that younger children aged 4 to 6 years should have no more than 19 grams (about 5 teaspoons) of sugar daily.  Older children aged 7 to 10 years should have no more than 24 grams daily (around 6 teaspoons) and adults no more than 30 grams daily (approx. 7 teaspoons).  So it is very easy to see how sugar benchmarks can be exceeded several fold during Easter.

Bearing this in mind here are a few tips from Dr Emma Derbyshire, registered Public Health Nutritionist on how to lower sugar intake during Easter – without having to completely sacrifice chocolate!:

Tip 1 – Leave off sugary decorations.  When baking Easter cakes think about using berries or Easter chicks to decorate instead of adding extra lashings of chocolate or sugary sprinkles.

Tip 2 – Save a bit.  Break eggs up and give these to children over the course of a week rather than having a whole egg in a single day.

Tip 3 – Mix it up.  Mix chocolate up with fruits such as blueberries, blackberries or strawberries.  That way chocolate and fruits are put on these same level playing field.  Colourful, naturally sweet berries can be a great Easter treat too!

Tip 4 – Do some swaps.  Having a hot chocolate made with cocoa powder and semi-skimmed milk only provides 6.5 grams of sugar compared with 56 grams found in the equivalent amount of milk chocolate (100g)!

Tip 5 – Give Easter trail mix a go.  This trail mix can be put into small jars or cardboard boxes, tied up with ribbons and hidden or placed on meal tables.  Include things like: fresh mixed berries, dried fruits such as raisins, cherries, mango or apricot slices, low sugar popcorn and chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips.