Tina Ballerina's Apple Stars

So, today's inspiration comes from the food network (the pastry) and Tina ,my 5 year old daughter (the star shapes). I made the pastry according to the recipe i scribbled down 1.5 cups plain flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 10 tablespoons butter (only i substituted vegetable oil). Then I added COLD water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture binded together into a flaky dough. I wrapped the dough in clingfilm and put it in the fridge for one hour. While the dough was resting, I found 4 apples in the back of the fridge, they were still firm, but looking a little worse for wear- perfect for apple pie :) I chopped them into little pieces, and into the frying pan they went with 3 teaspoons of sugar, one teaspoon of cinnamon and the juice of one small lemon. As the apples started to soften, and release their juices, i added one teaspoon of dairy free butter, and then sprinkled with 1 tablespoon of flour (to thicken up the sauce a little.)

Now, waiting for the apple mixture to cool, i started rolling out the dough to about a 1.5cm thickness. I used a coffee mug to cut out rounds, and then rolled out the rounds into a bigger, thinner round shape.




 Then i took a tablespoon of the apple mixture, and put it into the middle of the round shapes. I painted water (with my finger) around the top of the pastry shape, and then using my finger and thumb, i went around the shape, pinching as i went, until the pastry looked like a star. I brushed the stars with an egg wash glaze, ans then I put the pastries on a greaseproof lined cookie sheet.Into the oven they went at 180 degrees until they went brown around the edges.
These are guaranteed to fill your house with a yummy smell, so if there is anyone else in the house, don't expect there to be any left by the time they cool down! :)