Mini Apple Pies

You can choose to make mini pies with this recipe, with either a mini pie maker ($20), or make them mini by using a muffin pan, or make one large pie with this. They're all delicious. With a mini pie maker you're likely to eat more, because it just makes it easier.. but they're so cute. This is a really good pie recipe, it has been changed over time by me to make it a perfect recipe. The crust is flakey and buttery, the filling is creamy and has huge bursts of cinnamon, it's a classic.

Apple filling:
If you're using the mini pie maker, then the filling has to be pre-cooked, since they bake in about 3 minutes. So in a saucepan add:
1/2 stick butter. melt.
6 golden delicious apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1/2" pieces
2 fuji apples, prepped the same way. Add these to the pan. Stir.

To this add:
1/2C muscovado sugar
1/4C dark brown sugar
1t ground cinnamon
1t apple pie spice
2T dark rum
1/2 C heavy cream
Stir, keep on the heat for about 5 minutes, till the apples have softened, they should not be mushy though, you still want some texture. Take off the heat, add 1/3C all purpose flour to thicken the sauce. If still to saucy, add a little more flour, you just don't want the sauce to wet the crust after they have been baked, you also don't want it stiff, so find a happy medium. Cool.

If you're not using a mini pie maker, then you can mix all these ingredients in a bowl, and add these to the crust in the pie mold before baking, they don't have to be pre-cooked.

Crust:
In a large mixing bowl add:
2C white whole wheat flour
3T sugar
1t salt
2 sticks unsalted, cold butter, cut in small pieces

Using your hands mix together roughly until the butter has mixed in the flour more, and the whole thing looks like course crumbs. You want there to be butter chunks left, this is what makes the crust flakey. Add the wet ingredients (below), and make one big ball.

1 egg
3T cold milk
2T cold water

If it's still too dry, add a little more water, but this should be enough. Split the ball into 2 discs. Cool in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Turn on the pie maker, oil with a pastry brush so they come out easily, before each time a mini pie is made.
Roll out the crust very thin for the mini pies, about 1/4", for a regular pie about 1/2". Fill the pies with the apple filling, over fill them so that the tops bake well, about 2 1/2T. Put the crusts on top, bake for about 3 minutes. For a regular pie put the crusts on top, brush with cream and sprinkle sugar in the raw over the top. Bake for about 45 minutes till golden. The mini pies don't need to be brushed with anything. Take them out of the pie maker and repeat. Enjoy! Using this crust you can make all sorts of fillings, like an almond cream filling, poppyseed filling, nutella and strawberry filling.. the list is endless. The mini pie maker is worth the $20, plus it's great to make these for friends coming over, or family events. They look appetizing, and they're mess free.