Mini Apple Pies

I am always looking for new ways to make food portable. It seems that we always have somewhere to be and the boys are always hungry. I get greeted everyday after school with “Mom, I’m hungry.” Even on the days that we don’t have orchestra, karate, soccer, you name it after school it is still a 30 minute drive home.

I made a simple pate brisee pressed it into a muffin tin and topped with chopped apples. It was a hit. To my surprise they fit perfectly in a GladWare mini round 1/2 cup container that I usually fill with yogurt and fruit for everyone’s lunch boxes.

for the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used spelt flour)
1/2 cup cold butter or for a non-dairy version, Earth Balance “healthy” fake butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar

Measure the flour into a food processor with the salt and sugar. Pulse once or twice to mix. Cut the butter into chunks and add to the flour. Pulse until it looks like bread crumbs. Add ice water a Tbsp at a time until it just starts to come together, about 2-3 Tbsp. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan.

Peel and chop 4-5 apples. I used a mixture of apple varieties, easy to find now that it is apple season. WSU has an organic orchard where you can buy lots and lots of different varieties of apples for a bargain. Check your area to see if you have a place you can pick your own. Then you know they are fresh, in the supermarket they are still selling last year’s apples.

Place the chopped apples in a bowl of acidulated water (lemon juice added) to keep from browning. Drain the apples and mix with sugar. The sugar amount can vary depending on the sweetness of your apples and how tart you like your pies. I added about 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger. Next add something to thicken the juices from the apples, I added about a tablespoon of corn-starch. Mix well.

Remove the pastry from the plastic wrap and roll out on a floured board or counter top. Roll to about 1/4 inch thick. Using a wide glass cut circles into the pastry and press into the pan. If it tears, no worries, just patch with left over bits. Using your finger loosen along rim of each so that it will come out of the pan easier after baking.

Scoop the apple mixture into the cups. Be generous they will cook down. Sprinkle the tops with coarse raw sugar. Bake 30-40 minutes depending on your oven. Let cool for a few minutes before removing from pan.

Now you can eat a whole pie without looking like a pig;-)