Apple and quince are a classic flavor combo, but one you may not have heard of. Quince are often found at road-side stands with other fresh produce, although you might not recognize them!
A bit like a pear in looks, the firm fruit makes a wonderful foil for apples and in this gluten free Apple Quince Mini Pie, recipe, the perfect filling combination!
Many people are nervous about making gluten free pie crusts. It just seems so hard, especially after multiple crumbly crust fails (we’ve all had these happen).
But I’m here to tell you I’ve found the secrets to flaky and workable gluten free pie crust nirvana! Hop to my gluten free pie crust tutorial for all the details, video, step-by-step photos and recipe, and pop back here to try it out on this even easier gluten free mini pies recipe!
Making gluten free mini pies means there’s no scary pie dough transfer step (which my tutorial shows isn’t so scary, but I understand your concern!). You can fill these pies with anything you like, or multiple fillings to accommodate everyone’s preferences. Plus, they’re easy to take to picnics or events where hand-held desserts are perfect.
While they are more time consuming to make than a traditional pie, if you are still feeling uneasy about rolling an entire pie crust, these mini pies are your solution!
For more on this lovely fruit, read my introduction to the quince! The beauty of this recipe is that it makes a fun hand-held pie that any youngster would gravitate to (think McDonald’s apple pie) but would totally impress any grown-up!
There’s nothing complicated about cooking the quinces to be ready for pairing with apples (also from the roadside stand – it’s amazing how eating fresh, local apples make you feel squeamish about the ones at the grocery covered in wax … but I digress).
Simply peel the quince and slice them thinly to reduce the cook time. If you like, add some cloves and cinnamon tied up in a cheesecloth, and add fresh apple cider to the boil for flavor, then simmer the spiced slices until tender and the liquid is reduced to 1-2 Tablespoons.
This delicious late summer – early fall flavor combination will make the perfect filling for your light and flaky gluten free pie crust. Gluten Free Apple Quince Mini Pies await!
Apple Quince Gluten Free Mini Pie Recipe
The warm spice combo of apple and quince make these gluten free mini pies hard to resist!
Ingredients
Apple Quince Pie Filling
- 3-4 medium sized yellow quince, peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 cup apple cider
- 10 whole cloves
- 1-2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 medium tart apples (I used Pink Lady), peeled and diced
Gluten Free Pie Crust
Instructions
Cooking Quince:
Peel the quinces and slice them thinly to reduce the cook time. If you like, add some cloves and cinnamon tied up in a cheesecloth, and add fresh apple cider to the boil for flavor, then simmer the spiced slices until tender and the liquid is reduced to 1-2 Tablespoons.
At this point, add the diced apples to the pot and cook them with the quinces just until slightly tender. It makes the apples easier to work with in small pie applications.
Remove the cheesecloth bag containing the spices and discard. Let the fruit cool while you set to work on pie crust.
Mini Pies
See my Gluten Free Pie Crust recipe to make a double recipe of pie pastry dough. Use the cooked quince and apples to make one two-crust pie according to those directions, or follow directions below to make mini pies.
In addition, have dairy or non-dairy milk of choice on hand, and sugar or demerara sugar for the tops of the mini pies.
After mixing the double batch of pastry dough, divide into approximately 15 small balls of dough. Wrap each in plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 20-30 minutes.
Prepare two cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper, and gather large cookie cutters (round, rectangular or heart shapes work best) or a pastry cutter to use to cut circles out of the dough.Preheat oven to 375° F.
Dust a clean counter or pastry mat and rolling pin with gfJules All Purpose Gluten Free Flour or gluten-free starch (cornstarch, potato starch, tapioca starch, arrowroot powder). To keep dough from drying out, unwrap one ball of dough at a time. Roll to a thickness of 1/8 – 1/4 inch.
Using a large cookie cutter, cut shapes from rolled out dough. Add scraps to next ball of dough.
For each mini pie, you should have two matching cut-out pieces of dough, or one large hand-cut circle (approximately 5 inches) that can be folded over on itself to make a half-moon shape.
Place a dollop of fruit filling in the center of one from each pair of cut out dough shapes. Allow 1/2 inch border between the filling and the edge to allow for sealing with top piece. Dampen the border of dough with a moist finger and lay a matching piece of dough on top, pressing the edges together gently to seal. Press the tines of a fork around the edges if they need sealed further.
Lay each mini pie onto the prepared cookie sheets and brush with milk of choice. Sprinkle sugar on tops and cut a small slit or two in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape during baking.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove to cool before serving.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 144Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 0mgSodium 46mgCarbohydrates 30gFiber 4gSugar 18gProtein 1g
Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
Be sure to also check out my berry filling on these adorable gluten free hand-held mini pies I baked for Valentine’s Day. Of course, they’d be practical for picnics and adorable for anniversaries, too!
Pin this recipe for later!
Jules – I, too was raised with Quince – mine was quince jelly from my grandmother….but putting it into pies teamed up with apples sounds great! You brought back a taste memory that I long to have once again! Will be on the lookout for quince! Nanna was in New Jersey – and would travel to visit family in MD – so I’m sure you are in her area of her quince source!
Pam – I saved 3 quinces to make jelly/paste – can’t wait to see how it turns out! Glad to find a source of quince near me – wouldn’t it be amazing if it was the same orchard where your Nana used to find hers? Small, small world!!!