Apple Pies

I know, I’ve made a few pies lately.

But see how these are different?

Look at how adorable these are!

I mean, come on. Could you resist?

I sure couldn’t. Which explains why I don’t have a picture of these all plated nicely, snuggling with ice cream.

We ate them before I had a chance to think about pictures.

Oops.

This is why I had leftover dough for that impromptu dinner.

Although this recipe is a little time consuming, it’s no harder than making any sort of real pie.

It still involves slicing fruit.

Rolling out crust and making it look pretty.

Mixing fruit and sugar and cornstarch.

And taking bites with your eyes closed so you can focus solely on each flavor.
That’s my favorite part.

Please give these a try. They’ll impress your friends for sure. And if you don’t want to share, I won’t tell.

Apple Pies
Inspired by Pinterest

1 prepared pie dough, rolled out and sliced into strips
6-8 large apples (really any kind of apple will do)
1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling onto the crust
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 or 1/2 tsp cardamom, if desired
1 tsp cornstarch
Juice of a lemon or lime, mixed with 1 cup of water
1 tbsp melted butter

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Core an apple, then use a melon baller or knife to hollow out the apple more, being careful not to go all the way through the skin. Make sure you save all the apple bits! Once the apple is hollow, submerge it briefly in the citrus water to keep it from browning too quickly. Turn the apple over to drain. Repeat this process with all the apples.

Slice the apple bits into smaller bits, and then mix them with the sugars, cinnamon, cardamom (optional) and cornstarch.

Place the hollowed out apples in a muffin tin. This will keep them from tipping during the baking process. Fill each apple with the bit mixture.

Take the long strips of pie dough and cut them into 4 inch strips. Then “weave” the strips together to create the square tops. (See this photo for reference) Place one square over each apple. Brush the dough with melted butter and sprinkle sugar over the top.

Bake for 30-35 minutes (until the dough is fully baked and the apples reach the desired tenderness). Once the apples have cooled, you can use a fork or spoon to remove them from the muffin pan. Serve with ice cream or a drizzle of caramel.