Have you ever had that moment where you go to the store for that one specific item and come home with some additional mini tart pans? Hehe I went to take a peek at the baking section and well the rest is history. I know that you shouldn’t go to the grocery store on an empty stomach but I feel the same can be said of shopping for bake wares.
So today instead of making one large apple pie I decided to put my new tart pans to good use and bake up four mini apple pies. Not only are they cute and every bit as delicious but I don’t have to over think about how to get out that perfect first slice, and I don’t have to share.
These pies turned out wonderfully. Packed with delicious Cortland apples and warm hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves throughout. All of which are nestled in a flaky and buttery rich crust.
Pie Crust Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups of flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 11 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
- 7 tablespoons of vegetable shortening, cubed and chilled
- 1/3 cup of ice cold water
I began with the crust. In a large bowl I mixed together 2 1/4 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of sugar.
To the flour mixture I cut in 7 tablespoons of cubed shortening and 11 tablespoons of cubed butter. I made sure that the butter and shortening were well incorporated and the mixture was crumbly.
I added 1/3 of a cup of ice cold water. I mixed until incorporated and the dough had formed.
Then on a lightly floured work surface I shaped the dough into a round and lightly flattened it. I wrapped the dough in plastic wrap and placed it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
With 30 minutes left on the chill time for the dough I preheated the oven to 400 degrees and started on the filling.
Filling Ingredients:
- 5 apples, peeled and sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 egg
- turbinado sugar for sprinkling
In a large bowl I mixed together 5 sliced apples, 2 tablespoons of flour, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/8 of a teaspoon of nutmeg, and 1/8 of a teaspoon of ground cloves. I gently tossed the apple mixture together until well combined and evenly coated. I set this aside for later.
To make the pies I used 4 mini non-stick tart pans with a removable base. The pans were about 4 1/2 inches in diameter by 1 inch deep.
Once the dough had finished chilling I rolled the dough out into a large thin round and cut out 4 circles slightly larger than the tart pans (about 6 1/2 inches in diameter).
Then I gently pressed and shaped each dough into its pan. I made sure the dough reached the top of each pan so I could attach the top crust.
I used a fork to carefully poke a few holes on the bottom crust, I tried not to poke all the way through.
Then I evenly filled each tart with the apple mixture. I divided 1 1/2 tablespoons of cubed butter over the top of the apple filling for each tart.
I used the remaining dough to decorate the tops of my pies, I chose a lattice design and a traditional top crust for my pies. To attach the traditional top crust I crimped the far outer edges with a fork and then with a tiny bit of water on my fingers I smoothed over the crimping indents. I also made sure to vent the top crust by slicing four tiny slits in the top.
In a small bowl I whisked together 1 egg. I brushed each crust with the egg wash and sprinkled on some turbinado sugar.
I carefully transferred my pies to a cookie sheet and baked them for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. After 15 minutes I reduced the heat to 350 degrees and continued baking the pies for 20-25 minutes and the crust was fully cooked and golden brown.
