Apple Pie Cupcakes
Tis the season for apples!
I don’t have to tell you that fall is the perfect time for making apple pie, what with the bounty of fresh apples – their sweet-tart scent filling the brisk air. Pie is just a natural vehicle for enjoying all those Honeycrisps, Mutsus, Pink Ladies, Galas, and Granny Smiths.
But as much as a fresh apple pie is enjoyable to eat, it can be intimidating to make and even trickier to serve.
My solution? Miniature pies, baked in a cupcake pan.
INGREDIENTS:
Apple Filling:
Crumble Topping:
INSTRUCTIONS:
I don’t have to tell you that fall is the perfect time for making apple pie, what with the bounty of fresh apples – their sweet-tart scent filling the brisk air. Pie is just a natural vehicle for enjoying all those Honeycrisps, Mutsus, Pink Ladies, Galas, and Granny Smiths.
But as much as a fresh apple pie is enjoyable to eat, it can be intimidating to make and even trickier to serve.
My solution? Miniature pies, baked in a cupcake pan.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 pre-made, ready to roll pie crusts or Homemade All Butter Pie Crust
Apple Filling:
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large apples, peeled, cored and diced in to 1/4-inch cubes
Crumble Topping:
- 1/3 cup pecan halves, toasted
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg for egg wash
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- Whipped cream, ice cream, or caramel sauce for topping
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray 24 mini muffin cups with cooking spray.
- In a medium size pan, melt butter, add apples, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often until apples are tender, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and set pan aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and pecans/walnuts add butter and mix in until crumbly.
- Roll the pie crust out on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin.
- Using a round cookie or biscuit cutter (approximately 3 inches diamater) cut at least 24 rounds out ( 12 rounds of each pie crust, if using store bought)
- Carefully press each round into the mini-muffin pan. Use your fingers to round the ends into a pie crust. Brush egg wash to the top edges of each cupcake.
- Divide the apple filling evenly onto pie crusts in muffin cups then top with the crumble topping.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack. Once cooled, use the tip of a knife to loosen the crusts from the mini muffin cups.
- Serve the cupcakes topped with whipped cream, with ice cream, or topped with a drizzle of caramel sauce.