Happy fall
baking! Let's celebrate the season with crisp apples, dusted with cinnamon and
sugar, and then baked inside tender, flaky pie crust. And the recipe couldn't
be simpler (I chose to make my own crust, but you can certainly use two 9-inch
refrigerated pie crusts).
I love the
concept of individual pies because you can please an entire crowd with one
recipe. I used apples and cinnamon in this recipe, but you can add additional
fillings, such as dried cranberries, raisins or cherries. And consider this:
since you're making individual pies, so you can change filling
and make 8 different pies in one muffin pan!
I realize 8 pies might seem like a
lot of work, but consider the possibilities: pumpkin, pear, peach, blueberry,
and chocolate-peanut butter. If you use frozen fruit, making a variety of pies
is a snap. If you make the chocolate-PB one, simply fill the bottom crust
with semi-sweet chocolate morsels and peanut butter chips. Oh, and think
about what you can serve on top... whipped cream, ice cream, chocolate
shavings...
Whatever you
decide, I know you'll be making these pies over and over. I mean, the baking
season is just beginning... add these fun pies to your recipe arsenal and
you'll be baking-dancing-laughing all season long!
Individual Apple
Pies
For the
crusts (or use
two 9-inch refrigerated pie crusts):
3 cups
all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons
granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon
salt
1 cup (2 sticks)
unsalted butter, chilled and cut up
6-8 tablespoons
very cold water
For the
filling:
2 1/2 cups
diced fresh apples (such as Mackintosh or a similar variety -- something
with a little tartness to it)
1 tablespoon
cornstarch
1 tablespoon
brown sugar
1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
1 large egg,
lightly beaten
4 teaspoons
granulated sugar
Preheat the oven
to 350 degrees.
To make the
crusts, in a food processor, combine the
flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and pulse on and off until the mixture
resembles course crumbs. Add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and process
until the mixture forms a ball (try not to over-process). Transfer the dough to
a piece of plastic wrap and shape it into a disc. Wrap the disc tightly with
the wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes (and up to 3 days).
Meanwhile, in a
large bowl, combine the apples, cornstarch, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Toss to coat the apples.
Remove the dough
from the refrigerator and divide it into 16 equal portions. Shape each portion
in a ball. Press 8 of the balls into the bottom and all the way up the
sides of a 12-cup muffin pan (4
cups will be empty). Fill the crusts with the apple mixture. Press
the remaining eight pieces into rounds, big enough to cover the diameter of the
muffin cup. Press the rounds over the fillings and pinch the two crusts
together to seal. Prick the tops with a fork. Brush the surface
of the pies with the beaten egg and then sprinkle with the sugar.
Bake for 15 to
20 minutes, until the crusts are golden brown.
Cool the pies,
in the muffin pan, on a cooling rack for at
least 10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
Serves 8
Comments
Post a Comment