Mini Bramley Apple Crumble Pies

The perfect alternative to a mince pie! (with a crumble topping twist)

My ideal Boxing Day - crackling log fires, cosy homemade comfort food and playing a load of silly board games with my family.

It was such a treat to be able to spend the afternoon in the kitchen with my mum, covered in flour and crumble mixture, baking apple crumble pies mm mm. I'm not the world's biggest mince pie fan, so I decided to bake a delicious alternative for the family.

Serve with a dollop of brandy butter and it's a Christmassy explosion to your taste buds!

What You'll Need //

2 lb bramley apples - peeled & cored
1 lb mixed fruit -(raisins etc)
2 oz soft light brown sugar
1 tsp  ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 lemon - zest only
1 roll of short crust pastry - or here's a 'from scratch' recipe
a little demerara sugar for sprinkling

Crumble
120g plain flour
60g caster sugar
60g unsalted butter -room temp & chopped into cubes

Preheat oven to 190 degrees

Chop your apples into bite sized pieces and throw into a large saucepan on a low heat. Add the sugar, cinnamon & ginger also. Stir often and leave to simmer for 30 mins.

Add your mixed fruit and lemon zest. Stir & simmer for another 20 mins or until soft and mushy.

Whilst waiting for your sauce to cook, roll out your pastry and cut out as many circles as your cutter will cut! Place circles in a cupcake tray.

Now for the fun part - the crumble. Tip the 3 crumble ingredients into a large bowl and gently rub between your fingers and thumb to make a light breadcrumb-like mixture. Try not to overwork it.

Add a spoonful of the apple sauce mixture to your pastry moulds and sprinkle over a spoonful of crumble to each. Finish off with a pinch of demerara sugar on each.

Bake for 20 minutes and leave to cool on a cooling rack before gobbling up with a glass of mulled wine.

I hope you all had the merriest of Christmasses gals and guys! Take a look at my boxing day chutney recipe for a scrumptious accompaniment to your left over turkey.

Betty x

Caramelised Onion & Apple Boxing Day Chutney

Come Boxing day I will be donning my stretchiest pair of p-j bottoms, feeling the size of a house and verging on popping point…yet still I will find a way to fit in just a teensy weensy bit more turkey & stuffing. Anyone else?
And what better way to top off your turkey & stuffing than with an almighty dollop of homemade chutney. Mmm. Yes please.


This was my first ever attempt at making homemade chutney and definitely not my last, it made the entire house smell like sweet pickle and apples. They make such great stocking fillers as well, and let's face it, who doesn't love a chutney. Just when you thought you couldn't possibly fit anymore in, chutney saves the day.  A piece of cheddar and a spoonful of caramelised onion & apple chutters and that's me done. Belly content.

I based my homemade recipe on Jamie's Caramelised Onion Chutney, threw some apples into the equation and slightly tweaked a few ingredients.

What You'll Need//

3 tbsp Olive Oil
1.5 lb Red Onions
1.5 lb Apples
10 oz Dark Brown Sugar
7 fl oz Malt Vinegar
3 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
3 Crushed Garlic Cloves - I used the lazy kind
Pinch Salt
Pinch Paprika
1 Small Chilli

Makes approx 6 jar-fuls.

What to do //

Peel your apples and remove skin from onions. Slice finely until you are crying and have a huge pile like this…

Or do what I didn't think of doing and use a food processor!

Glug the olive oil into a large saucepan and soften the onions/apples on a low heat. Do not let them brown.

Stir in half the sugar and cook for a couple of minutes until a nice caramelised colour. Add the rest of the sugar and all other ingredients.

Simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes until a beautiful syrupy consistency. Have a taste. YUM.

Leave to cool before spooning into jars- I made about 6 jarfuls. I bought a pack of 12 of these jars at Hobbycraft

Make some pretty tops and secure with an elastic band or festive ribbon. Sneak them into your loved one's stockings or just keep them all for yourself and become festively plump :)

Merry Christmas blog buddies! :) For more festive treats visit my Betty Stamp Christmas page

What's your favourite Boxing day treat? I'd love to try them out!

Betty x