Mini Apple Pies Recipe
(Seriously, how cute are those mini apple pies?!)
On to the next cooking adventure! :] Right now, I am getting in some much needed practice for my family’s annual Thanksgiving pie contest. We started a new tradition a couple of years ago so that all of us “kids” (now adults having kids, but “kids” to our parents) would be helping out with the Thanksgiving meal. To enter the pie contest you have an entry fee of $10 which goes in to a pot and the winner gets the cash. Now, we are a pretty competitive family – throw in money incentive and it gets pretty intense.. So intense that last years guest judge said the experience was a little too much for him.. haha! And yes, we have unbiased judges that come to taste each pie to narrow it down to the best of the best. I told you, we get intense. :]
Well, as I’ve told you I am a notoriously bad cook – but I am extremely competitive. Not a very good combination for this contest, but I’m determined! I hate to admit I haven’t even made it in the finals.. ever.. – but let’s not dwell on the past.. Typically, the bad cooking just comes down to me not following the directions, skipping an ingredient or step. So this year I’ve decided to start experimenting early to perfect my pie. As I am typing this I realize how crazy I must sound.. haha! This contest is all in good fun – we even have a turkey crown I made that goes to the winner each year. :]
I decided to start out with a simple mini apple pie recipe to give me some confidence. (I found out that one of the judges this year loves coconut – so I will hopefully find a great recipe with coconut! shhhhh! Don’t give away my edge to the competition.)
I had a good experience cooking these mini apple pies. Very easy and super tasty! Although everything takes so much longer when you are photographing it (and trying not to eat all of the apple filling :P) but it all turned out great without a hitch! We ate them warm with some homemade vanilla ice cream – perfect fall dessert!
- 4 apples {cored, peeled & chopped}
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Pasty:
- Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts (pack of 2)
- Layout your thawed pie crusts and use a cookie cutter to cut out the circles for mini pies.
- Lay the cut out cookies on parchment paper on a baking sheet.
- To make the apple pie filling combine the chopped/peeled apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, melted butter and salt in a bowl.
- Mix thoroughly! You want to make sure all the ingredients have cover the apples consistently.
- Spread (and pile!) the apple pie filling on the mini pie crusts leaving a little room on the outer edge to seal the pie.
- Cover the apple pie filling with the cookie cut pie crust. You will have gently stretch out the top so that it will fit over the apple filling.
- Use a fork to pinch the two pie crusts together to make a cookie and cut two small slits so that the apples can breathe while cooking.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Bake at 450 for 10 – 15 minutes.
- This made eight mini-pies. I had some leftover apple pie filling that I canned! I am thinking about making some pork chops with the extra filling! Yum!
