mini apple pies

How adorable are these?

Seriously, they are so cute!  I can't get over them!  (Haha, Matt just put on his headphones because I haven't stopped giggling and mumbling to myself about how cute these are.)  Clearly, I have an obsession with mini-sized things.  Tiny things are just so darn cute!

Anyways, with Thanksgiving being tomorrow and all, it's time to share an apple pie.  Last minute.  I know.  Sowwy.  To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of apple pie.  Mainly because there's usually wayyyy too much filling and not enough crust.  Not that I dislike filling, I'm just definitely in favor of a higher crust to filling ratio.  Must.feed.inner.carbosaur.

So these mini apple pies.  They have the perfect crust to filling ratio.  Hooray!  The mini-mini apple pies are even more perfect.  And dare I say, cuter? :)  They're like, all crust with just a smidgen of apple filling.  Just enough to remind you that you are not, in fact, just eating a ball of pie crust.

I'll admit that I've never made a homemade pie crust before so this crust was the perfect one to start with.  It was so easy and yummy- two reasons why I will probably stick with this recipe.  Just make sure you read the recipe all the way through so that you know that the crust needs to be chilled before using.  Unlike me, who got to that part and threw a mini-tantrum (sadly, not cute).

Oh, I know that making the lattice topping looks a little tedious, but with a glass of wine and some Christmas music, it's totally fun!  And the end result makes the extra effort completely worth it!

I really hope that you give these mini pies a try.  I mean, who wouldn't want their own pie?  Topped with whipped cream or ice cream, they're heaven!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!  xoxo

Mini Apple Pies
makes 16 mini pies or 24+ mini-mini pies

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Ingredients:
For the Pie Crust:
3 cups flour, plus more for dusting
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup PLUS 1 tablespoon shortening, cold
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold & cubed
1/4 cup ice water
1 egg, for egg wash
coarse sanding sugar, optional

For the Apple Filling:
3 large apples, peeled & cored
1/4 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of salt

Directions:
To make the pie crust:  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except the water, using a fork, pastry cutter or your hands until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Add in the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together.  

Divide the dough into two equal portions and flatten them into disks.  Wrap the disks in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

To make the apple filling:  Slice apples thinly and dice into small pieces.  In a large bowl, mix all filling ingredients.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease two cupcake pans.

After the dough is done chilling, roll out the dough to about 1/8” thickness on a lightly floured surface.  Using a round cutter larger than the cupcake well, cut out 16 circles of dough.  Using a pizza cutter (or a knife), cut out 1/4” strips for the lattice topping.  Re-roll the dough scraps as needed.  

Gently push each circle of dough into the greased cupcake wells.

Generously fill the pie crusts with the apple filling (mounded in the center) as the filling will shrink down while baking.

Beat the egg in a small bowl.  Brush the rims of the crusts with the egg wash.  Create the lattice topping over the apple filling and attach it to the bottom crust.  Brush the lattice topping with the egg wash and sprinkle with the coarse sanding sugar, if using.  Chill the pans in the refrigerator until the crust is firm (about 15-20 minutes).

Place pans on cookie sheets (to catch any drippings) and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the tops are golden brown.  Transfer mini pies to a cooling rack immediately.

Serve with  whipped cream or ice cream.  Enjoy!

Source: pie crust adapted from Not So Humble Pie, apple filling is my own