Apple-filled cookies in the air fryer
Crisp shortcrust cookies with a soft filling of apples, cinnamon and walnuts, baked to perfection in the air fryer in 12 minutes. A German classic that smells of Christmas and gets a fine dusting of icing sugar to finish.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Rund udstikker About 6 cm in diameter
- 1 Lille gryde
- 1 Parchment paper For air fryer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cooling rack
- 1 Lille si For icing sugar
Ingredients
Shortcrust pastry
250 g plain flour
150 g butter Cold, in cubes
80 g icing sugar
1 pcs egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla sugar
1 pinch salt
Apple filling
2 pcs apples Tart, e.g. Belle de Boskoop
50 g walnuts Finely chopped
2 tbsp cane sugar
1 tsp cinnamon Ground
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp water
For brushing and decorating
1 pcs egg white For brushing- 2 tbsp icing sugar For dusting
Instructions
Shortcrust pastry
- Put 250 g plain flour, 80 g icing sugar, 1 tsp vanilla sugar and 1 pinch salt in a mixing bowl. Add 150 g butter in cold cubes and 1 pcs egg yolk, and quickly bring the dough together with your fingertips, until it just barely holds together. Don't work it any longer than necessary, or the cookies will turn tough.
- Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap it in cling film and place it in the fridge for 45 minutes. Cold dough is easier to roll out thinly and holds its shape better in the air fryer.
Apple filling
- Peel 2 pcs apples, remove the core and cut them into small cubes of about 5 mm. The finer the cubes, the easier the cookies will close around the filling.
- Put the apple cubes in a small saucepan together with 2 tbsp cane sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp water. Let it simmer over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft and the liquid has reduced to a thick compote.
- Stir 50 g walnuts into the warm filling, and let it cool completely. The filling needs to be cold before it goes onto the dough.
Cutting out and assembling
- Roll out the cold dough between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 3-4 mm. Cut out circles with a round cutter of about 6 cm. You need an even number, so each base has a lid, and the recipe makes about 20 finished cookies.
- Place a small teaspoonful of the cooled apple filling in the centre of half the circles, leaving a clear border of about 1 cm all the way round.
- Brush the clear border with 1 pcs egg white, place a circle on top as a lid and press the edge firmly together with a fork, so the filling is completely sealed in. Loose edges will let the filling leak out during baking.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C fan.
- Line the basket with air fryer baking paper, and place the cookies in a single layer a couple of centimetres apart. Bake them at 160 °C for 12 minutes, until light golden. Turn them carefully after 8 minutes, so they get colour on both sides. Bake in several batches if your basket is small.
Serving
- Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack, then dust them with 2 tbsp icing sugar through a small sieve. They only become truly crisp once they're cold, and icing sugar melts on a warm cookie.
Notes
Tips for a perfect result:
Let the filling cool completely before assembling the cookies. Warm filling softens the shortcrust pastry from the inside, causing the cookies to spread out in the basket instead of keeping their round shape. Variation:
Swap the walnuts for hazelnuts or almonds, and stir a couple of tablespoons of chopped raisins into the filling for a sweeter version. A hint of grated lemon zest in the dough adds freshness to the apples. Serving:
Serve with coffee or hot cocoa. The cookies pack up beautifully in a cookie tin and make a lovely homemade hostess gift in December. Serving size:
The recipe makes about 20 cookies, equivalent to 4 servings of 5 pieces each. If your air fryer is smaller, you can bake in two or three batches.
Let the filling cool completely before assembling the cookies. Warm filling softens the shortcrust pastry from the inside, causing the cookies to spread out in the basket instead of keeping their round shape. Variation:
Swap the walnuts for hazelnuts or almonds, and stir a couple of tablespoons of chopped raisins into the filling for a sweeter version. A hint of grated lemon zest in the dough adds freshness to the apples. Serving:
Serve with coffee or hot cocoa. The cookies pack up beautifully in a cookie tin and make a lovely homemade hostess gift in December. Serving size:
The recipe makes about 20 cookies, equivalent to 4 servings of 5 pieces each. If your air fryer is smaller, you can bake in two or three batches.
Nutrition
Calories: 760kcalCarbohydrates: 88gProtein: 10gFat: 41gSaturated fat: 21gPolyunsaturated fat: 7gMonounsaturated fat: 10gTrans fat: 1gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 85mgPotassium: 200mgFiber: 4gSugar: 40gVitamin A: 990IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 1.3mgNet carbohydrates: 84g
