Cinnamon Apple Pocket Pies

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~ raw, vegan gluten-free ~

When I was in third grade, McDonald’s apple pies became a weekly treat for me.  Every Saturday morning while mom was working, I would slap on my roller skates and zig-zag my way down the street passing my girlfriend’s house.

As I rolled past her driveway, she silently pulled out behind me, and like a silent movie of synchronized swimmers, we would glide our way towards the grocery store.  No words were exchanged, she knew the drill.

Accident-free we made our way into McDonald’s, slamming into the counter, our feet dancing underneath us, trying to keep ourselves upright as our wheels slid all over the polished tile floor. With pigtails and tanned, freckled cheeks, we would dump our pennies and nickels on the countertop to make our purchase, one hot chocolate, and one apple pie.

Then we then made our way to a booth where we sat with our weighted feet dangling in the air… passing the hot chocolate and apple pie back and forth.  One bite and sip at a time. What a treat that was.

I have long since hung up my roller skates, and it has been over ten years since I have had one of those apple pies… but all of a sudden I wanted one.  Out of kicks and grins, I looked up just what McDonald’s put in their pies.  Kind of makes me cringe but here is the list…

Apples, enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, shortening [palm oil, soy lecithin, artificial flavor, beta carotene], sugar, high fructose corn syrup, food starch-modified, sorbitol, dextrose, brown sugar, sodium alginate, sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, yeast, salt, dehydrated apple powder, natural & artificial flavors, nutmeg, preservatives; ascorbic acid, citric acid, erythorbic acid, enzymes, hydroxylated soy lecithin, L-cysteine, annatto & turmeric, caramel color. Cinnamon, sugar.

To bring this beautiful dessert to a whole level, serve it with my Cinnamon Raisin Tiger Nut Ice Cream.  All of the combined flavors are just divine! Really the beauty of this recipe is the pie crust.  It isn’t flakey like a baked crust, but it isn’t dense and doughy either.  It is sturdy and firm enough to hold the pie in hand, enjoying it right down to the very last bite. It won’t break away or get soggy.  I hope you enjoy this recipe. I would love to hear your thoughts and if you give it a try.  Have a glorious day in the kitchen. amie sue

Ingredients:

Yields 8 pocket pies

Filling:

• 1 cup small diced apple, peeled
• 1/2 cup raw date paste
• 1 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon

Crust:

• 2 cups buckwheat groats, soaked
• 1 cup macadamia nuts, soaked
• 1/4 cup flaxseed, ground
• 1 Tbsp maple syrups
• 1 Tbsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 2 Tbsp cold-pressed coconut oil

Cinnamon-wash:

• 1 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp water

Preparation:

Filling:

1. In a medium-sized bowl toss the diced apples, date paste, and cinnamon together, making sure the apples are well coated. Set aside.

Pie crust:

1. Click on the link above to learn how to soak buckwheat. After soaking the buckwheat, drain and discard the soak water, rinsing it under running water until you don’t detect any more mucilage (slime) draining away.  This important as it will affect the taste.
   • You can take the buckwheat to the next nutritional level by sprouting it before continuing with the recipe.  This will take an extra day or two.
2. Place the flax seeds in a small grinder to bring to a powder.
3. In a food processor, fitted with an “S” blade, combine the groats, macadamia nuts, flax, coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Process until the batter is well mixed.
4. Form a dough ball and put it in between two large sheets of plastic wrap.
5. Roll the dough thinly, less than 1/4″ thick.
6. With a ruler measure out the size of pie crusts.  I used 5″ long and 3 1/2″ wide.   I used the edge of the ruler to make the cuts in the dough.  Pull away the scraps and place them in a pile.
7. Lift one crust off and flip it over (you want the sticky side up).  Place roughly 2 Tbsp of apple pie mix down the center of the crust.  Leaving about 1/4″ around the edge.  Don’t build the center too high with apple pie mix.
8. Lift the second crust up and put the sticky side down on top of the filling.  Gently bring the two crust edges together.
9. Using the tips of a fork, make indentions all along the edge.  This will help seal the edges.  Dip the fork in water every once in a while if it starts to stick.  Transfer the pie to the dehydrator tray that is fitted with a mesh screen.
10. Create a wash with cinnamon and water.  With a craft paintbrush, brush the wash over the top of the pastry.
11. Dehydrate at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, reduce the heat to 115 degrees (F), and dry for 4-8 hours.
12. Enjoy warm or chilled!  Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.
13. The only way this could get any better was by adding a dollop of my Cinnamon Raisin Tiger Nut Ice Cream.

Culinary Explanations:

• Why do I start the dehydrator at 145 degrees (F)?  Click (here) to learn the reason behind this.
• When working with fresh ingredients, it is important to taste test as you build a recipe.  Learn why (here).
• Don’t own a dehydrator? Learn how to use your oven (here). I do however truly believe that it is a worthwhile investment. Click (here) to learn what I use.

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Tags: Dairy Free, Dehydrated, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan