3-Ingredient Apple Cinnamon Pastries Recipe

Have you ever finished watching an episode of "The Great British Baking Show" and really want deliciously flaky pastries filled with perfectly sweet fruit, only to look around your kitchen and realize that you haven't been to the store in a week? If you pair that with the fact that you are not a world-class baker, have we the perfect recipe for you. With only three ingredients, recipe developer Jennine Bryant of The Marshside Pantry has created quick apple cinnamon pastries. Let us tell you this yummy delight comes together with incredible ease, yet tastes like a million bucks.

"[This is] a really quick recipe that is great for when you have guests to entertain — it makes a brilliant alternative to bringing out the biscuits, and people are always impressed with fresh homemade pastries," Bryant explains. "In the U.K., if we have guests over, we always have a cup of tea and some biscuits to offer around!" Whichever side of the pond you reside on, consider whipping up a batch of these scrumptious goodies to entertain company, or just for you and your family to enjoy whenever the craving strikes.

Store-bought puff pastry is the key to deliciously flaky apple cinnamon pastries. Bryant uses Jus-Rol ready rolled puff pastry, but if you can't find that, any brand of store-bought, ready made puff pastry will work. You'll also need apples and a dash of cinnamon. "For this recipe, I used Bramley apples," Bryant says, but again, the recipe is incredibly flexible. "I would recommend using cooking apples, if you have them," she says, "but it would really work with any type of flavorful apple that you can find. It would be a great way to use up some apples in the fruit bowl!" In the U.S., Granny Smith apples are commonly used for cooking, but any apple you have on hand will work.

If you're feeling adventurous, you could also switch up the type of fruit you use entirely. "It could definitely work with all kinds of fruit, as long as it is nice and ripe and flavorful," Bryant says. "I love the idea of peaches or pears — yum!" So, consider making the recipe a bit different each time you put it together, and see what version is your favorite.

While your oven is preheating to 425 F, you can get your pastries together in just a couple simple steps. Remove the pastry from the packaging, and roll it out evenly. Using either a sharp knife or a pizza wheel, cut the pastry into eight roughly equal rectangles, and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Make sure to leave enough room between them for them to puff up. You'll probably either need to bake the pastries in batches, or use multiple baking sheets.

Cut the apples into thin slices, removing the core and seeds. Then, toss the slices in a bowl with the cinnamon until evenly coated. Whether or not you peel them is entirely up to you. "I didn't peel the apples, as the peel can give the pastry a nice coloring (especially if the apples are a reddish hue) and when baked becomes soft and easy to bite through," Bryant says. "However, it comes down to personal preference — I know some people prefer to remove the peel, and some people can have trouble digesting it. It would work just as well either way."

Arrange the apple slices on top of the pastry segments, distributing them evenly and leaving roughly a centimeter of pastry around the edge. Feel free to get creative with how you place the apples on the pastry, since the apples are what will give the finished pastries their visual appeal.

Once the pastries are all assembled, they're ready to go into the oven. Bake the pastries for about 20 minutes until the pastry is risen and golden, then remove them to cool on a wire rack.

While your pastries are baking is the perfect time to make your icing to drizzle on top of them, if you'd like a little bit of extra sweetness. If you have a preferred icing recipe you like to use, that's great, but if not, Bryant has an easy solution for you. "The way I make icing is by putting powdered sugar in a bowl and gradually adding little bits of water and mixing with a spoon until I have created a thick paste that can still be drizzled," Bryant says. "It's not an exact science in this household, but it's simple and effective."

Once your pastries are out of the oven and have cooled slightly, they're ready to serve. Drizzle them with some icing, if you'd like. The icing really makes them look so picture-perfect. Once you're done, you can let your family and friends dig into them, and enjoy. They are also delicious served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!