Oh My Apple Pie

 The day started off like any other day with me getting refreshment ready.  I opened the fridge and apples fell out!  I decided that we need to make another apple something today.  Yesterday we made apple/pear sauce that we served in the afternoon for refreshment.  So I thought Apple Turn overs or mini pie as I called it today was in order.

 As you can see, we started by making the pastry.  Making good pastry is a gift and this is one of those times I don't mind saying, "I have the gift".  Really how could I not with such great help all around me. The trick I told the children today was to handle the dough very little so as not to over work the gluten and really, really cold ingredients.  Butter, Lard (YES LARD because it makes the best most flakey pastry ever), Ice water, flour and a tiny bit of salt.  We mixed it all up with our hands quickly and after it had rested in the fridge for an hour we rolled it out and cut it into triangles and half moon shapes.

 I showed the children how to use their finger to moisten the edge of the dough with water for sealing the edges.

 While the dough rested we had many helpers cutting up tiny apples.  I find it interesting how children will come and go and work out who needs the next turn at the round table and in the end everyone got a turn to make the apple filling.  Once the filling was ready we used a big spoon to put apples into the middle of the dough.  We folded over the dough and used a fork to seal the edges.  

 Lastly we brushed the pastry with milk and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

 Voilà!  This took all morning but it was so worth it.

 Fresh from the oven!  The smell at lunch was amazing....just like home.

Just because.....I wanted you to see what lunch looks like at the school.  Today it was Spaghetti with homemade sauce and garden salad, Apple pie  and milk.  I wish I had video taped the silence as the children ate and ate today.  Oh, happy day.