Name: Mini Apple Pies That'll Make Your Grandma Jealous
Ingredients: 2½ cups all-purpose flour (the cheap stuff works fine, I promise); 1 tablespoon sugar (just regular granulated); 1 teaspoon salt (I use kosher, but whatever’s in your shaker works); 1 cup COLD butter (2 sticks, cut into small cubes and thrown in the freezer for 10 minutes); ¼ to ⅓ cup ice-cold water (emphasis on ICE cold); 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (trust me on this weird ingredient – it makes the crust flakier); 1 egg for egg wash (to make them all shiny and beautiful); 4 medium apples (I like a mix – 2 Granny Smith for tartness and 2 Honeycrisp for sweetness); ½ cup brown sugar (light or dark, your call – I prefer dark for more molasses flavor); 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (to thicken all those amazing apple juices); 1 tablespoon lemon juice (keeps the apples from turning brown and adds a little zing); 1 teaspoon cinnamon (the fancy Vietnamese kind if you’re feeling bougie); ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated if you’ve got a nutmeg guy, or the pre-ground stuff); ¼ teaspoon salt (brings out all the flavors); 2 tablespoons butter (to dot on top of the filling because butter makes everything better); 2 tablespoons coarse sugar (like turbinado or demerara – that crunchy stuff); Extra cinnamon for sprinkling (optional, but who doesn’t want extra cinnamon?); Vanilla ice cream for serving (not optional in my book!)

Description

So these are basically the cutest little handheld apple pies you’ve ever seen. I got tired of making full-sized pies that nobody could finish (okay, I could finish them, but my jeans couldn’t), so I started making these adorable mini versions. They’ve got all the amazing flavor of a traditional apple pie – flaky crust, cinnamon-spiced apples, that incredible smell that takes over your kitchen – but in a perfect single-serving size. Plus, there’s a higher crust-to-filling ratio, which is a total win if you’re a crust person like me. Make these once and watch how fast they disappear at your next gathering!

Ingredients

Scale

For the Crust:

2½ cups all-purpose flour (the cheap stuff works fine, I promise)
1 tablespoon sugar (just regular granulated)
1 teaspoon salt (I use kosher, but whatever’s in your shaker works)
1 cup COLD butter (2 sticks, cut into small cubes and thrown in the freezer for 10 minutes)
¼ to ⅓ cup ice-cold water (emphasis on ICE cold)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (trust me on this weird ingredient – it makes the crust flakier)
1 egg for egg wash (to make them all shiny and beautiful)

For the Filling:

4 medium apples (I like a mix – 2 Granny Smith for tartness and 2 Honeycrisp for sweetness)
½ cup brown sugar (light or dark, your call – I prefer dark for more molasses flavor)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (to thicken all those amazing apple juices)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (keeps the apples from turning brown and adds a little zing)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (the fancy Vietnamese kind if you’re feeling bougie)
¼ teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated if you’ve got a nutmeg guy, or the pre-ground stuff)
¼ teaspoon salt (brings out all the flavors)
2 tablespoons butter (to dot on top of the filling because butter makes everything better)

For the Topping:

2 tablespoons coarse sugar (like turbinado or demerara – that crunchy stuff)
Extra cinnamon for sprinkling (optional, but who doesn’t want extra cinnamon?)
Vanilla ice cream for serving (not optional in my book!)