Recette de mignonnes petites tartes aux pommes

March 27, 2021

Recipe for cute little apple pies

The only thing better than apple pie are cute little apple hand pies!

With homemade apple-shaped pie crust and a gooey apple pie filling, these individual apple pies bake in about 15 minutes ! The perfect apple pies to share with your loved ones during the holidays.

Apple pies

I picked up a few kilos of apples at the market this Sunday, and was delighted to see that several of them still had leaves. It's so pretty, isn't it?

To make the pies even more adorable , I used an apple cookie cutter to cut out the pie crust, and a mini heart cookie cutter to make the air vent in the top of the pies. But if you don't have such cookie cutters on hand, you can simply cut the dough into squares! They won't be as cute, but they'll still be super delicious ! If you cut them into squares, they'll look a lot like those cinnamon apple bourbon pies.

Apple pie filling

Fresh Apples: You can use almost any apple to make apple pie, but my favorites are Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples! Jonagold, Golden Delicious and Northern Spy are also excellent choices! Regardless of the variety, you need to peel, core and dice the apples. You need to cut the apples into fairly fine dice.

Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter, but salted butter will do if needed! It will just add a touch of salt to the filling. But it's such a small amount that it won't be very noticeable.

spices: Apple pie spice is the easiest way to add flavor to apple pie. But if you don't have any on hand, just add 1/2 tsp cinnamon , and 1/4 tsp nutmeg and allspice. Both options add warmth and depth to the flavor!

lemon juice: Cuts the sweet taste with a touch of acidity. Don't worry, you won't taste the lemon!

Sugars: Dark brown sugar and granulated sugar add sweetness and depth to the flavor. 1/4 cup of each is the perfect combination !

flour: our thickening agent! Be careful not to add it too soon or the apple pie filling will be lumpy.

You will cook the apple pie filling over medium heat and it will take about 10-12 minutes in total.
apple

Pie dough recipe

Our manual pie dough is made from common ingredients like flour, butter, sugar and salt. And a few unexpected ingredients like baking powder and sour cream. The combination ? A dream come true ! It's pretty easy to work with, but if you're totally new to baking, check out my Cherry Tarts recipe video which has a step-by-step tutorial on how to make the dough (it will load at the top of the page).

PS Pie dough must be chilled for at least an hour before rolling out! It is therefore necessary to plan the necessary time.

Assembling your apple pies by hand

Preheat your oven! And line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out the pie dough into a large square. Approximately 18×18 inches.
Using a pastry cutter or cookie cutter, cut the rolled dough into 16 squares or shapes. You might be able to get 18 if you roll out the dough thin enough!
Spread the apple filling over half of the dough pieces. About 1 tablespoon is a good amount of filling. If you put too much, it will run out and burn in the oven.
On the other half, cut a small opening in the center. You can use a small heart -shaped cookie cutter like I did! Or use a paring knife to create a small X.
Lightly brush the edges of the apple-filled pies with eggnog, then cover each filled pie crust with a piece of airy pie crust. Use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges.
Bake until the pies are golden brown ! About 15 to 20 minutes.

They are delicious hot or at room temperature! But my favorite way to serve them is straight out of the oven with a huge scoop of ice cream! It's the perfect fall treat and so much easier than baking an entire pie!

pie

Recipe summary

Ingredients ( 8 pies)

For the crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 and 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, VERY cold, cubed
1/2 cup FULL sour cream, cold
For the apple pie filling:
4 large apples, peeled and cored
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the egg wash:

1 large egg, beaten
sparkling sugar, optional

Instructions

For the crust:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar.
Add the butter, working it in with your hands or a pastry knife, until you get a coarse flour. The butter should still be in large pea-sized pieces.
Using a rubber spatula, fold in the sour cream. The dough will be very shaggy at this point. Place it on a well-floured work surface, and bring it together in a few quick kneads.
Shape the dough into a 10 inch log, then roll it into a 12 x 14 inch rectangle. Lightly flour both sides of the dough and, starting with the shorter end, fold it into thirds, like a letter. Flip the dough over and roll it out again into a 12 x 14 inch rectangle. Fold it in thirds again. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.

For the apple pie filling:

Peel and core the apples. Cut them into small pieces and set them aside.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Let the butter take on a light golden colour; about 1 minute.
Add apples to hot butter; sprinkle with salt and both sugars. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are completely softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in apple pie spice and lemon juice and continue to cook until apples are tender and sticky, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Sprinkle the flour on top and mix well, let the mixture thicken, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 15 minutes.

Assembly :

When you're ready to make your pies, preheat the oven to 425 degrees (F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Roll out the dough into a 16” x 16” square. Using apple cookie cutters, cut out sixteen apples. You can also use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into 16 squares.
Divide the apple filling among 8 of the squares, using about 1 heaped tablespoon for each. Brush a little beaten egg along the edges of each filled square.
Cut an opening in each of the other eight squares, using a small knife or a heart-shaped cookie cutter.
Top each filled square with an airy square and press the edges with the tines of a fork to seal.
Brush the top of each pie with the remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with sparkling sugar, if using.
Transfer the pies to the prepared baking sheet. Bake the pies for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
Remove them from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes before serving.

You now know my recipe for delicious mini apple pies. What I prefer in the recipe, of course, is the wonderful taste of the pie, but also that it is small. I can take them in my Lunch Boxes, what could be better! I am a big fan of lunch boxes and knowing little desert recipes like this one embellishes my meals.

If like me you like Lunch Boxes, I advise you to take a look at our MaLunchBox website