Mini Apple Pies

For the first time in a few years, I didn't host Thanksgiving. I gave the task over to my mom and she only gave me a few kitchen tasks for the day. One of them was apple pie. I have become the apple pie maker in my family for Thanksgiving. It just kind of happened. I think I was in high school the first time I decided that I wanted to make an apple pie and ever since then it hasn't been Thanksgiving without apple pie. Even when I am not going to be with my family for Thanksgiving, I still make them apple pie. I remember one time I sent one with my mom to upstate New York when she was going to have Thanksgiving with my uncle and his family. The tradition must go on. I have done different kinds of apple pies, traditional, dutch apple, etc. Since I had so few responsibilities this Thanksgiving I though I would take on a little bit of a challenge and make individual apple pies for everyone attending. I found the idea on Pinterest (which has become my new obsession by the way) and then set out to gather together everything I needed to make them. After all of these years, I am still in the hunt for the perfect pie crust. This year I tried one from Pioneer Woman and I think it worked out really well. At least everyone at Thanksgiving dinner said the pies were good. I didn't actually get to taste my own pie this year though, I don't know what happened, I just realized as I was driving home from my mom's that I never got to taste it. Oh well, I guess that means I will have to make it again.

Mini Apple Pies
Crust from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

For the pie crust:
2 ½ cups all purpose or pastry flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup cold butter, cut into chunks
¼ cup cold water

For the pie filling:
4 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
4 tbsp butter, cut into 18 pieces

Directions:

Mix the 2 cups of the flour, salt and sugar together lightly in a mixing bowl or in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and lard chunks and cut into the flour using a pastry cutter or by pulsing the food processor. The mixture should look like large crumbs and begin to cling together in clumps. Add the remaining ½ cup of flour and mix lightly or pulse the processor two or three times. Do not over mix this flour. It should coat the clumps. Sprinkle the water over the dough and with hands or a wooden spoon mix in until dough holds together. Shape the dough into two discs. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour or up to overnight.

In a separate bowl, combine the apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir to combine.

Roll one of the discs out to about 1/8" thick. Using a large round cookie cutter (I used a 4 1/4" round), cut out individual circles. Using a regular size muffin tin, line each cup with a piece of pie crust (I was able to get 18 mini pies using one pie crust recipe). Fill the crust with the apple mixture. Place a piece of butter on top of each pie. Top the pies with the leftover pie dough pieces. I used pie crust cutters in the shape of leaves, acorns and pumpkins but you could use anything. Bake in a 400F degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the pies are brown and bubbly. Let cool in the muffin tins for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife around the outside of each pie and remove from tins. Serve immediately or store in an air tight container until ready to serve. Serve with your favorite ice cream.