Madison isn’t one for being in the kitchen with me, not like her little brother is. However, if she does help she would prefer it to be baking, she’s a smart cookie isn’t she. So one day while she was at school I got all of the ingredients ready and we baked these cute little portioned apple pies.
I remember the moment like it was yesterday. I was pregnant with my first child. The joy I felt when my husband came to me and said these very words “I think we can afford for you to stay home with Madison.” Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes because it’s all I ever wanted to do. I just didn’t think we could afford to. We had to make cuts, deal with a lot of changes, go broke, get back on top and go broke again but we managed. I then pushed the envelope and asked if I could have the last two months of my pregnancy off. I wasn’t happy at my job, I knew I’d be sleeping less and I had a nursery to get ready! He met me in the middle and said one month. I nested like you would believe. I cleaned wallboards, cleaned out kitchen cabinets and put my daughters nursery together with a full heart. I dreamt of sweet snuggles, all of the milestones I would get to witness. Yes, I even thought about field trips. I remember my mother coming on a few of the ones I went on as a child so I know how much it would mean to my future daughter if I were able to be there for her first field trip, and I was.
A few weeks ago the slip came home for parent volunteers to take the class to an apple farm for the day. I didn’t think I’d get to go because I had my appt to get my background checked and get fingerprinted the day after the trip. Yes it’s sad that parents need to do that these days but it is a different world now and I’m thankful that our school system actually requires this of all employees and volunteers if you want to work with or around the children. When I received the email that I had been chosen I was thrilled. Madison is so shy and I knew she would have way more fun if I were to go on this trip. We had a blast. We learned all about apple farms, honey bees and toured the whole farm. I got to know her teachers, her new friends and well….. I came home with apples! Lotsa apples! I asked her what she wanted to make and she said apple pie! I’m not a baker myself but I wanted to make what she wanted so I went on quest to find the easiest apple pie I could. I liked the idea of making them mini that way your portioned but then again my husband ate three with no problems! Another tip my mom read after I made these, it would have been helpful, I had a hard time making the tops but if you cut the tops in circles then make the lattices that would make them fit more to each individual pie! Brilliant!
Recipe Adapted from: Sprinkle with Sugar
- 3 cups peeled, cored and chopped Macintosh Apples
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Flour
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- pinch salt
- 1 cups water
- 1 package (2 9") store-bought pie crust
- 1 egg beaten for egg wash
- Cinnamon & Sugar
- Pull out the pie crust and preheat oven to 425F.
- In a small sauce pan add both sugars, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and water. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Let the mixture boil for 10 minutes stirring frequently.
- Once it thickens add the apples and and stir to combine. Bring to a slow boil and allow to thicken a bit more, roughly 5-8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, spread one pie crust out. Using a cookie cutter or cup cut 3½ - 4 inch circles. Grease 9 muffins tins from a 12 muffin tin. Insert each circle into muffin tins gently pressing down to shape the crust along the tin. Mold them, flattening the doe with your fingers.
- Roll ou the second pie crust. Cut small strips, roughly ½ inch down the circle. Then one slice down half way length wise. Cut the ½ inch strips into 2½ inch strips.
- Use 6 strips for each muffin tin using the lattice form for the top of each pie. Repeat for 9 pies.
- Fill each muffin tin with the apple filling. Top each pie with a lattice form and firmly press down.
- Gently brush each muffin top with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes.
