Easy As Pie!

Easy as Pie!

Here’s a quick- to- make, easy- to- freeze, just- the- right- size treat for your sweetie pie or little ones from your neighbors Francesca Arniotes and Tom Becker, aka Castles and Kitchens. www.castlesandkitchens.com

The next time you go to the supermarket, pick up a sixpack of 5” aluminum pie pans. They’re perfect for this recipe and other single serving savories like pot pies.

Mini Apple Pies
Prep time: 25 minutes Baking time 30 minutes.
Makes 3 little pies.

Pastry
1 c flour
1/8 t salt
5 T cold butter, cut into ½ “ pieces
3 T ice-cold water

Filling:
2 nice size apples, washed
2 T flour, heaping
2 T sugar, heaping
1/4 t cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt,
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 t vanilla extract
Optional — raisins, craisins, walnut pieces

Topping.
3 T butter, not cold
3 T flour
2 T sugar ( turbinado, brown, or white)

Preheat your oven 375 w rack in the middle.
Think of the ones you’re making these pies for.

Put flour and salt into a bowl. Add the butter and work it into the flour with your fingertips until it’s like wet sand. Ok if there are some visible butter chunks.

Add the ice water and work the dough until it comes together in a ball. If you need to add more water, do it by drops. Roll out with a rolling pin to thickness of 1/16". Place pie tin upside down and trace out a circle 1/2” bigger than the tin. Cut out and line the tin. Bring the overlap up for the border crust and pinch to decorate. (Use thumb and forefinger of one hand, about 1/4” apart, on the outside of the dough and push the dough between the fingers with the tip of the forefinger of your other hand from the inside of the dough.)

Cut apples into quarters, or eighths if you prefer, and remove the core. Place flat side down and cut crosswise into thin slices. Place slices in the same bowl you made the dough in and squeeze lemon juice over them. Mix. Add sugar and mix well. Add flour, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, vanilla, plus raisins, craisins, walnuts if you like. Mix well. Turn apple mix into pie pan.

Mix butter, flour and sugar for topping together until combined. Top the apples.
For convenience you can put the little pie tins on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. You might see some bubbling of the juices, and the crust and streusel should have a nice color.

To freeze, cool completely. Set on freezer shelf unwrapped until frozen. Then wrap tightly with plastic or foil and place in a gallon baggie. Unwrap and thaw to room temperature or reheat in the oven.

Note: If you have leftover pie dough, roll it into pencil thickness rolls and cut into 4 inch lengths and put on the baking sheet with the pies. Take them out after about 15 minutes or so with tongs or a spatula.