Recipe // Individual Apple Pies

I made these cute little mini pies this past Friday and was so happy with how they turned out. They're the perfect portion and can be eaten on the go. How great is that!? Since it was my first time trying out mini pies, it took me a couple batches to tweak them to perfection, but the last couple of batches came out great. 

I would definitely recommend using the egg wash on top of the pies to give them that great shiny brown top. Compared to the pies who didn't get it, there was a big difference in a appearance. No difference in taste, so don't worry about that if you don't care to do the egg wash, it's mainly for looks. These little guys are perfect to give as gifts to. Just wrap up in some bags and tie with a ribbon and you got a super easy gift that no one will be able to turn down. 

Ingredients and Directions

Crust:

2 cups flour

1 cup lard (Crisco)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg + 2 tsp vinegar + water

Mix together dry ingredients. Cut the lard into the flour mix until crumbly mixture forms. Break egg into a measuring cup and add vinegar. Fill to 1/2 cup with water and mix. Add to flour and mix until a dough forms. The dough will be a bit sticky, use extra flour to handle. Form into a ball and set aside. 

Apple Filling:

A handful of apple slices (i didn't measure!) Macintosh apples work best

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves

Toss apples in the spices until fully coated. Set aside. 

Assembly:

1. Roll out pie crust evenly and relatively thin. Use a circle cookie cutter to cut out shapes, set aside access pie crust for next batch. 

2. Place several apple slices (or however many fit in the middle without overloading) in the middle of the crust. Use an egg wash and brush along the outer rim to act as glue. Place a second circle on top and use a fork to secure down the sides. Cut a x in the middle, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar. (the egg wash on top of the crust will create a really nice shiny brown finish on the pies. It's certainly not necessary)

3. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until edges have browned and the middles are oozy. 

4. Repeat until all dough and apples are used up. I ran out of dough first and just ate the left over apples as is. :) 

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