Mini Apple Pies

For this week’s Thanksgiving recipe, I found a fun twist on a traditional holiday favorite. I love making the old standbys for thanksgiving (even if just to prove to myself that I can) but these mini apple pies seem like they’ll just bring a little more life to the table than the typical, long-time favorite! With this recipe, it even includes a hand-made crust (although you can likely get away with the store made, too).

For your crust you'll need:

-2 cups flour

-2/3 cup butter

-1 teaspoon salt

-4 tablespoons water

And your filling:

-5 medium apples (peeled and chopped into small pieces)

-¾ cup sugar

-2 teaspoons cinnamon

-6 tablespoons flour

-2 tablespoons butter

Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees. To make your crust, blend your flour, butter and salt in a food processor until it balls up. Add your water and then blend until sticky. Take out and kneed together with your hand until well combined. Roll it out on a floured surface until its about ¼ thick. Cut out 12 four-inch circles with a cup. Press each circle into your muffin tins until they create a cup within.

Mix your apples, sugar, cinnamon and flour together in a bowl. Spoon the apple mixture into each cup. Cut butter up into 12 small pieces, placing one on top of the apples in each cup. With remaining crust dough, decorate cups with strips or shapes of your choice (or you can leave them plain).

Bake your apple pies at 425* for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is light brown and apples are bubbling. Let them cool in the tin, and then loosen with a spoon to pop them out.