Gluten Free Mini Cinnamon Sugar Apple Pies

I have never made a pie in my life and I thought today was the day I would give it a try. I know that everyone prefers miniature size over regular size (I know I do), so I decided to make mini apple pies using my muffin pan. I added a few ingredients that I thought would go well with the apples, and I also tried making different pie tops! Check out this fun, all day baking in the kitchen, recipe. Enjoy!

*Makes: 12 mini pies

Ingredients

For gluten free pie crust:

• 2 1/4 cups (320g) gluten free plain flour
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (60g) confectioner’s sugar 
• 10 tablespoons (140g) butter, chopped and chilled
• 1/2 cup (125ml), iced water (don’t count ice cubes in the volume measurement)

Apple filling:

• 3 apples, peeled and chopped
• 3 tbsp lemon juice (to keep apples from turning brown)
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (50g) dark brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tbsp ground cloves
• 2 tbsp maple syrup 
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp gluten free plain flour
• 1 tsp vanilla 

Directions

Step 1: Into the bowl of your food processor fitted with a steel blade, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and confectioner’s sugar, and pulse a few times until well-combined. Add the chopped and chilled butter, and pulse until the chunks of butter are a bit smaller and are covered in the dry mixture.

Step 2: Add small amounts of your ice water to the food processor and pulse. Keep adding the water slowly until your dough starts to form (you may not use all the water, so watch carefully). After you have added enough water, pulse a few more times to make sure the mixture is coming together in the food processor. If not, dribble in more and pulse. Stop adding water the moment the mixture begins to come together.

Step 3: Dump the dough out onto a large sheet of plastic wrap, enclose and place in the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes (or fridge if you plan on leaving it for more than an hour). 

Step 4: While your dough is chilling, start on your apples. Peel and dice or chop 3 apples. Sprinkle some lemon juice so that your apples don't brown. 

Step 5: Next, mix together the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, salt, flour, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Then, mix in your chopped apples in a large bowl. 

Step 6: Remove dough from fridge. Using two pieces of parchment paper or a floured surface, place one of your dough discs (the bigger one if possible) out on your floured surface. Roll it out fairly thin (but not too thin!). Use a bowl or cup that’s larger than the size of your cupcake tin circles to cut out circles from the dough. Squish these into an ungreased cupcake tin, removing any extra from the top. Use a fork to poke holes at the bottom of each cup, and then fill to the top with your apple mixture.

Step 7: Using the remaining dough, roll out a rectangle. Then, cut out small stripes or circles, the diameter of your cupcake cups. Use these to create the lattice top over the mini apple pies or any other top you'd like to make. Also, seal the tops to the bottoms with beaten egg!

Step 8: Place the cupcake tin on a baking sheet and bake at 375F/190C for about 30-35 minutes (I baked mine for exactly 35 minutes, but next time I might bake them for a little less because I would like them to be a tad bit softer), or until they start to look like and brown on the top, and your whole kitchen smells like apple pie. Enjoy!