Toffee Apple Crumble Pies - Bakemas Day 10

You know what every Sunday needs? Apple pie, lots of apple pie!
Does anyone else just really want to watch pushing daisies in autumn?

I know I know, it’s December and this is bakemas but this recipe was concocted in the midst of “pushing daisy season”...also know as autumn. The days ran away with me, I spent way too much time getting excited about bakemas and it was school photo season which took up quite a bit of my free time. So here we are in December, although where is December disappearing to? Every so often I realise the date and everything I have/want to do before Christmas flashes before my eyes, I swear it's the same every year and as much as I try to get ahead of everything something always has to get cut from the list. Anyway, I don’t think there’s any time when pie is a bad idea so I think I’m still good.

I guess this recipe does carry on with my theme of using dates in pretty much everything, I’m kind of obsessed, I just keep coming up with things to do with blended dates and I can’t quite work out where the line of 'an okay amount' and 'way too much' lies. Okay I just checked and of the 10 recipes of bakemas so far 3 have dates in, that’s not too bad...but I do have at least two recipes coming up with dates.

Shall we get to the pies, I’m rambling!

These are pretty simple to make and contain no refined sugar, which also seems to be my favourite thing right now. The toffee sauce to mix the apples in and drizzle over the top is made with just dates and milk and you can make it with an immersion blender which means no food processor to wash up which is music to my ears. There’s a few steps to this but they’re all pretty quick and while they’re cooking you can get an episode of pushing daisies in to get you overly ready for pie...that might be the first time in December I’ve suggested watching something other than Christmas films.

You will need
25g/1 oz butter/margarine
50g/2 oz plain flour
15g/½ oz rolled/porridge oats
¼ oz/1 tbsp coconut sugar
Handful pecans, roughly chopped
250g/8¾ oz shortcrust pastry
210g/1 ½ cups dates
175ml/¾ cup milk + extra, I used cashew
2 largish cooking apples

Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/Gas 4
First make the crumble by rubbing the margarine and flour together with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs, stir in the oats, coconut sugar and chopped pecans then set aside.
Roll out the pastry, cover you pie tins and trim the pastry close to the edges but with a little over hanging then set aside, I used four 4½-5 inch loose bottom pie tins but should also work with one larger pie tin.
Blend your dates and milk together to make the toffee sauce. Peel and slice your apples and place in a bowl, add ⅔ of the toffee sauce to the apples and mix until everything is evenly combined. Fill your pastry cases with the apples then top with the crumble. Bake in a preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until the apples are soft, if your pecans start to get too dark cover the pies with foil for the remaining cooking time.
While your pies are cooking add some extra milk to the leftover toffee sauce until it’s a pourable constancy.
Before serving heat the toffee sauce to drizzle over the pies, they can be served with ice cream, cream or just with the toffee sauce.

Serves 12