Apple Pie Munchkins

Do you love pie? Do you wish you could have pie travel with you wherever you are - just in case you need an immediate pie intervention??

Really?! ME TOO!!

Here's the perfect solution....itty bitty apple pie munchkins. They're cute and easy to make and definitely help with cravings for some good ol' apple pie. I love that you can have a quick snack of 1 or 2 (or 12) pies whenever the mood strikes you. Plus, they're so cute that anyone you serve them to is bound to fall head over heels in love.


Apple Pie Munchkins

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1/2 cup very cold water
2-3 medium apples (tart ones - like a Granny Smith

Squeeze of lemon juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Dash of grated nutmeg
Water
1 large egg lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon of water
Sugar, for sprinkling

To make the pie dough, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl and stir with a fork to blend. Using a pastry cutter (or a food processor), cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture is coarse and the largest pieces of butter are no bigger than small peas. Stir in the water and mix gently just until the dough has come together in a a cohesive ball and all of the dry ingredients have been moistened. Form the dough into a disc and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour. (Or go ahead and buy the refrigerated stuff....hey, it works too!)

When you are ready to make your cookies, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Peel the apples and cut off the sides in four large chunks, removing and discarding the cores. With each large piece of apple, dice the apple into a very find dice...a mince, if you will. Place the apples in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice. In another small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and whisk to blend.

To assemble the cookies, transfer half of the chilled pie dough to a lightly floured work surface (keep the remaining half chilled). Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out very thin, about 1/8 to ¼-inch thick. Use a larger round biscuit or cookie cutter (about 2½ to 2¾ inches in diameter) to cut out rounds of the pie dough. Transfer half of the rounds to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the rounds lightly with water (this will help the pies seal). Take a few apple pieces at a time and coat them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Pile on top of a round of pie dough. Layer a second round of dough on top of each apple slice and gently press the edges to help seal. Repeat this process with the remaining dough and apples. Crimp and seal the edges of the mini pies with a fork, dipping in flour if needed to prevent sticking. Lightly brush the tops of the cookies with the egg wash. Use a small paring knife to cut tiny slits in the top of each cookie. Sprinkle with additional sugar, if desired.

Bake for 25-28 minutes or until light golden brown. Eat by the handful :)Source: Smitten Kitchen

Apple Cake with Homemade Caramel Sauce

Recently, I found some amazing apples on sale at my grocery store. Normally, I see apple desserts as more of a Autumn comfort food, but I just couldn't resist. I decided to make homemade Apple Cake. Once I made it, I decided to go on caloric overload and add some homemade caramel sauce. Oh man....the cake was pretty great on it's own, but the caramel sauce really did me in. It was so simple, too. Eat this cake heated with the caramel sauce and some vanilla ice cream and you're in Heaven....

Apple Cake with Homemade Caramel Sauce

1/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 /2 tsp. baking powder
1 /2 tsp. salt
1 /2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 /2 tsp. ground nutmeg or mace
1 /2 tsp. ground ginger
3 cups peeled, diced tart apples

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With an electric or hand mixer, cream shortening and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add to mixture slowly, in batches. Stir in apples. Spoon into greased 8X8 pan.

Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.

Optional: Add 1/4 cup chopped nuts to recipe at same time as apples.

*Note: this recipe is for an 8X8 pan but could easily be doubled for a 13X9


Homemade Caramel Sauce
makes about 1 1/2 cups

1/2 C water
1 C sugar
1 C heavy cream, at room temperature
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Place the water and sugar in a heavy saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, uncover and continue to boil until the mixture is thick and the color of straw, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until the mixture is a deep amber color, about 1-2 minutes more.

Remove the mixture from the heat. Very carefully, pour about one quarter of the cream into it (the mixure will bubble vigorously). Add the remaining cream, salt, vanilla, and the lemon juice. Whisk until the sauce is smooth.

The sauce can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Reheat in a microwave or in a small saucepan until warm and smooth.

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen.

Homemade Applesauce

As much as I love fall, I tried to make it come a little early this year! In the beginning of September, the fam and I went to an apple orchard with great friends and their daughter. We had a blast despite the cold, rainy weather and terrible apple selection. The orchard lady wasn't joking when she said that the apples were really picked over already and that we'd have to hunt for the good ones.

Despite a few bruises (the apples, not me) I found some great apples of all different varieties. We couldn't possibly eat them all, so I got a great recipe from my friend Kathy (the great friend we went picking with!) She's been making this applesauce for a while now and she swears by it. Although she does say that she and her family are ruined because store bought applesauce just doesn't measure up.

After trying this recipe I couldn't agree more! I kept it chunky for my husband and I and pureed it for our 5 month old. We all devoured it! The fresh apples make the applesauce bright and chunky and AMAZING! I can't wait to make an even bigger batch of this next time! The great thing about this recipe is it's SO easy and all of the ingredients are "to taste" so if you like it sweeter or with more cinnamon you can go ahead and add them with wild abandon! But just know, you were warned...you will probably never like store bought applesauce again!



Homemade Applesauce

6 apples, peeled and diced
1/2 C. water
1 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 T. lemon juice

Put the apples into a saucepan with the water. Cover and cook until the apples are very soft, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the apples to a bowl and
mash. Add sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Mix well and enjoy! (This is truly great both warmed and cool!)