Pioneer Woman Mini Apple Pies Recipes

FRIED APPLE PIES

Steps:

• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, butter and 1 tablespoon water. Cook, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is bubbling. Add the apples, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and lemon juice. Mix together the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl to create a slurry. Add the cornstarch mixture to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender, about 5 minutes. Pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool completely. You can make this ahead of time and chill in the fridge a day or so in advance if needed.
• To make the pies, roll each biscuit into about a 5-inch circle that is about 1/8 inch thick. Spoon 2 generous tablespoons of the apple filling on each round of dough, just off center. Use your finger and run a little water around the edges to help them seal completely. Fold one half of each circle over onto the other half and seal in the apple filling, forcing out any air that you can. Press the edges together and crimp with a fork. Continue until they're all assembled.
• Heat the oil in a high-sided skillet over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees F. Fry the pies 2 or 3 at a time for about 5 minutes, carefully turning them halfway through. Remove them to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
• When all the pies are fried, sift the confectioners' sugar over top. Serve with Cinnamon-Caramel Sauce or store-bought caramel sauce.
• Mix the brown sugar, half-and-half, butter and a pinch of salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, whisking gently, until it thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla, cinnamon and a second pinch of salt and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat and allow to cool to room temperature before serving. Chill if not using immediately.

MIXED MINI PIES

Steps:

• For the pie crusts: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with baking spray.
• Unroll the pie crusts on a clean surface. Cut 6 circles from each crust (12 total) with a 3 1/2-inch plain-edged round cutter. Press a circle of dough into each of the 12 cups of the muffin pan, lightly pressing the dough up the sides (they will not reach the tops of the cups). These will be your pie crusts.
• Poke the bottom of 4 of the pie crusts with a fork and place cupcake liners into the poked crust cups only. Fill each liner with 2 tablespoons uncooked rice. Refrigerate the pan while you prepare the fillings.
• For the crumble topping: Mix together the flour, oats and brown sugar in a small bowl. Stir in the melted butter until well combined. Set aside until ready to use.
• For the fillings: Begin filling the dough cups. (The 4 cups with the cupcake liners filled with uncooked rice will remain that way during the bake and will be filled after the bake.) Mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt in a small bowl until well combined. Divide the cream cheese mixture between 2 of the empty dough cups. Divide the cherry pie filling between 2 of the remaining empty dough cups. Divide the blueberry pie filling between 2 of the remaining empty dough cups. Divide the grape jam between the remaining 2 empty dough cups.
• Mix half of the crumble topping with the lemon zest in a bowl. Divide the mixture over the top of the 2 pie dough cups filled with the blueberry pie filling to make blueberry lemon crumble pies. Mix the remaining crumble topping with the crushed peanuts in a bowl. Divide the mixture over the top of the 2 pie dough cups filled with the grape jam.
• Bake the pies: Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the crumbs on the 4 crumb-topped pies are golden, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
• Finish the pies: Remove the cupcake liners filled with rice from the 4 baked and unfilled crusts.
• For the strawberry cream pies: Toss the diced strawberries with the granulated sugar and a splash of vanilla in a small bowl. Divide the mixture between the 2 pies filled with the cream cheese mixture. Drizzle the pies with the caramel sauce.
• For the cherry pies: Divide the toasted almonds over the 2 pies filled with the cherry filling. Microwave the white chocolate and coconut oil together in a microwave-safe bowl for 15 seconds or until warm. Stir well, then drizzle evenly over the 2 pies. Top the center of each pie with a bit of whipped cream.
• For the PB and J pies: Microwave the peanut butter and coconut oil together in a microwave-safe bowl for 15 seconds or until warm. Stir well, then drizzle evenly over the 2 pies filled with the grape jam and peanut-crumble topping.
• For the lemon raspberry pies: Divide the lemon curd between 2 of the empty baked pie crusts. Top each pie with 3 raspberries. Dust each pie with a bit of powdered sugar and finish with a mint leaf.
• For the s'mores pies: Divide the hazelnut spread between the last 2 empty baked pie crusts. Mix the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter together in a small bowl. Sprinkle half of the mixture over each pie. Cut the marshmallow in half crosswise. Top each pie with one half of the marshmallow. Using a kitchen blowtorch (brulee torch), toast each piece of marshmallow to the desired level of toasted-ness.
• Transfer the pies to a cake stand or platter and enjoy!

BETH HOWARD'S APPLE PIE

Steps:

• In a deep bowl, work the butter and shortening into the flour and salt with your hands until you see marble-sized lumps form. Think mixed nuts, but no bigger than almonds. Add ice water a little at a time, sort of "fluffing" the flour. Keep your movements light, as if you are tossing dressing into a salad with your hands. When the dough feels moistened enough, do a "squeeze test" and when it holds together you're done. Do not overwork the dough! It takes very little time and you'll be tempted to keep touching it, but don't! Now divide the dough in half, form each half into a disk shape and roll flat and thin to fit your pie dish. Sprinkle flour under and on top of your dough, and keep rolling surface and pin free from gunk to keep dough from sticking. Trim excess crust to about 1 inch from the dish edge with a scissors., Slice half of the apples directly into the pie, arranging to remove extra space between slices. Cover with half of your other ingredients (sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt), then slice the remaining apples and cover with second half of ingredients. Add dollop of butter on top, cover with top crust, seal and crimp edges, then brush with beaten egg (this gives the pie a nice golden brown shine; be careful not to let egg pool in crevices.) Use a knife to poke vent holes in the top (get creative here with a pattern), then bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Turn oven down to 375 degrees and bake for another 30-40 minutes until juice bubbles. Keep an eye on it as it bakes. If it gets too brown, turn down the temperature. To be sure it's done, poke with a knife to make sure apples have softened. Do not overbake or apples will turn mushy.

APPLE HAND PIES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
• Cut peeled and cored apples into quarters, cut each quarter into 3 wedges, and cut wedges into chunks.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; let butter brown to a light golden color and until butter smells toasted, about 1 minute. Stir apples into hot butter; sprinkle with salt, white sugar, and brown sugar. Cook and stir apple mixture until apples are softened, about 5 minutes. Mix in cinnamon and water; continue cooking until apples are soft and sticky, 1 to 2 more minutes. Spread apple filling onto a plate to cool.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Form a dough piece into a ball, place on a floured work surface, and roll into a circle about 8 inches in diameter. Spoon 1/3 to 1/2 cup apple filling in the center. Fold dough over filling, leaving about 1 inch of dough on the bottom side visible below the top side. Gently press dough closed around filling, using your fingertips.
• Fold the overhanging bottom part of the dough up over the top edge, working your way around the crust, and pinch the overhang tightly to the top part of the crust.
• Crimp the edge tightly closed, pinching a little bit of dough with the thumb and forefinger of one hand and using your index finger on the other hand to push a small notch into the pinched dough. Continue pinching and notching all the way around until the crust is tightly crimped together. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Transfer pies onto prepared baking sheet.
• Whisk egg with milk in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Brush top of each hand pie with egg mixture and sprinkle with about 1/4 teaspoon white sugar. Cut 3 small vent holes in the top of each pie.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pies are golden brown and filling is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

MINI APPLE PIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Cut 4 6-inch rounds out of the pie crusts, and fit them into 4 5-inch mini pie dishes. Cut remaining pie crust into 1/8-inch strips, and set dough aside.
• In a bowl, mix the diced apple, tapioca, sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg, and cinnamon until thoroughly combined; allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes to soften the tapioca. Stir the mixture again, and spoon into the pie shells. Use the strips of dough to weave a small lattice crust on top of each pie, and pinch the strips onto the bottom crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the pies are browned and the filling is thickened and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Cool before serving.