Lately, I've been obsessed with miniature food. No doubt this is due to my job. We make cake pops, pie pops and now 3" and 6" cakes. To foster this slowly building addiction, I've decided to take a traditional family recipe and miniaturize it for this month's post.
My grandmother's apple pie recipe is the epitome of comfort food. The flakey, buttery crust and juicy cinnamon-apple filling are drool-worthy. However, it's the crumbly streusel topping that makes this recipe unique. One bite of this pie instantly sends you back to the 4th of July picnics you used to have with your family and those hot, sticky summer days laying out at the pool. What better way to end the summer than with a pie?
Below is a standard 10" pie recipe. You can use a regular pie pan, or, if you want to try something new, grab an oversized muffin pan and create individual pies. Enjoy.
Crust-
1 1/2 cup Flour
6 2/3 Tbsp Shortening
4-5 Tbsp ice-cold Water
1/2 tsp Salt
Filling-
3 lb Granny Smith Apples
1/2 cup Sugar
3-4 tsp Cinnamon
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Topping-
1 cup Sugar
1 cup cold Margarine
1 cup Flour
Combine the salt and flour in a medium-sized bowl. Add in the shortening. Use a pastry cutter to break up the shortening into small, pea-sized pieces; the smaller the pieces, the flakier the crust. (Tip- if you don't have a pastry cutter, just use two knives and go in a crisscross motion).
Drizzle in a couple tablespoons of water. Use a fork to blend it together. If the dough is still too dry, sprinkle in some more water. You don't want your dough to be too gooey, so, do so sparingly. Once the mixture is fully combined, pat the dough into a ball.
On a floured cutting board, roll out the dough. Start from the center. Allow up to an inch of extra crust on the sides so you can crimp the edges.
When you're ready to move the crust, slowly curl it around the rolling pin. Unfurl it into the pan and press the crust against the sides of the pan. If you're making the mini-pies, first create a pattern that will fit properly into each muffin hole. Either use a large cookie-cutter or your knife to cut out the circles. Transfer them to the pan and press the dough against the sides of each muffin hole. Try to get the sides as even as possible. Fold the extra dough under. Use your index finger and thumb to crimp the edges. (Tip- if your crust is cracked, use a drop of water to remoisten it. Press the bits together so that it stays. You do not want cracks, otherwise your pie will leak.)
Prepare the filling by peeling, coring and slicing the apples in a large bowl. Sprinkle the sugar, flour and cinnamon over the apples. Use a spoon to stir everything together; you want the apples to be completely coated.
Pour the apples into the pie shell or oversized muffin pan. Arrange the slices to avoid air pockets. (Tip- Fill your dish until it's essentially overflowing with apples. They will shrink considerably.) Drizzle the lemon juice over the apples.
Prepare the streusel topping by combining the sugar and flour in a bowl. Cut up the margarine before adding it to the bowl. Mix everything together with the pastry cutter. You should have big pieces of margarine. Immediately sprinkle the mixture over the apples. Heap it on.
Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes (10"), 30-35 minutes (mini pies) or until the edges start to bubble.
