Friday, September 20, 2013

Apple Pie Cookies

Apple Pie Cookies

Aren't these the cutest things?  Not my idea, although I wish they were.  These have been pinned to my to-do list for quite a few months now and I've actually seen them in at least a dozen places.  They all seem to stem back to one original source, though, which is Smitten Kitchen.  So I'll go ahead and say the inspiration came from there.

Apple Pie Cookies
Sometimes, when I have the idea in my head, I just go play around in the kitchen and that's kind of how these cookies evolved. I used my own pie dough recipe, slightly sweeter, and kind of winged it when it came to the filling.  I've made them a few times, to get it right, not that any of them didn't get eaten anyway.  Probably would have been more efficient to just look at the dang recipe, though.  You can make them a little thicker and larger, like a hand pie, but I stuck to the thin, cookie version.  Buttery dough with just the right amount of sweetness, these are dangerously addictive.  Enjoy!









Ingredients
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Crust:
1 Stick unsalted butter, well chilled and cut into 1" pieces
1 Cup all purpose flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Teaspoon baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Cup ice water

Filling:
1 Apple (your choice), peeled, cored and cut into quarters
1/4 Cup sugar
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Dash of nutmeg (optional)

Apple Pie Cookies
To make the crust, combine the butter, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a food processor with a steel blade and pulse just until it resembles course crumbs. Slowly pour in the ice water and pulse just until combined and a dough ball forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

When the dough has chilled, roll it out on a well floured surface until it's quite thin.  Using a round cutter, cut out an equal number of circles.  You can re-roll the scraps to use up all the dough.  The number of circles you get will depend on your size cutter but I used a 3 1/2" cutter and got about 10 circles.

Apple Pie Cookies
In a bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.  Slice each apple quarter as thinly as you can and place 2 or 3 slices on half of your dough circles.  Sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of the sugar/cinnamon mixture over the apple slices and top with the blank dough circles.  Using a fork, crimp the edges so that the filling doesn't run out and cut a criss-cross slit across the tops.  Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a tablespoon of additional sugar, if desired, and bake in a pre-heated 350 oven for 20 - 30 minutes or until the cookies are a light golden brown.

29 comments:

  1. Cute, indeed! I wonder if my Brian will allow them to sit on the baking sheet for more than 30 seconds. Hmm... I'd better make a double batch!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I LOVE these! So cute and sounds utterly scrumptious :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm going to an apple festival in a few weekends, so I think these Apple Pie Cookies might be in my future!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Too cute! So much more manageable than a whole pie. Plus a little sweeter with the sugar in the crust. Always good in my book.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Tiny little apple pies! How lovely, Anita, and perfect for when you just need a little something with a cup of tea.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'll take a dozen, please! These look divine.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm seeing all these pie cookies floating around. I think it's a sign to make some soon. I just love the idea of them.

    ReplyDelete
  8. These are genius!! Cannot wait to make them

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh man do these look wonderful!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Can other fillings be used such as blueberries or peaches? Would the recipe need to be adapted to accommate the different fruits?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can certainly use this pastry as a basis for other fillings but each would need to be handled in its own way and with spices and herbs that suit it.

      Delete
    2. I've made them with a mincemeat filling and a blueberry pie filling..they are awesome! Thank you for the recipe!

      Delete
  11. Oh man I think I will Make a Batch Of Them For Sunday after Church Meal We Are Having I Think They Will Be A Hit Indeed Oh Yeah !! Thank You So Much For The Recipe!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I tossed the apples in the sugar mix before placing on dough then spooned any extra on top of the apples.Before the cookies went into the oven, I lightly brushed the tops with a beaten egg and milk mix.
    These are YUMMY!!
    Gloria from Stoney Creek, Ont.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Why do you not post nutritional values for the recipes on your website...I could make and eat your recipes if I had the nutritional vales because I am a type one diabetic and need to know the values to know how much insulin to take when I eat a serving of each recipe...Please provide the nutritional values, PLEASE!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am not a nutritionist so I would hate to have anyone rely on my advice when it comes to their health. I suggest you plug the recipe into a program like myfitnesspal.com and it will calculate all the values for you.

      Delete
  14. i cant just print the recipe unless i get all 5 pages, i don't want to do that. no icon that says print

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you save it to your computer, then you can print out only what you need.

      Delete
  15. My grandkids ALL 💘 apples. In for sure gonna make these.. Granny always has THE SWEETS😀❤💚💜💙💙💜.....HAMPTON GRANNY

    ReplyDelete
  16. Plez answer, how many does it make

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I used a 3 1/2" cutter and got 10 dough rounds which made 5 cookies.

      Delete
  17. My grandmother made these, when I was litttle. My kids, love them too! The best cookies ever!

    ReplyDelete
  18. This is not a new idea. You call them cookies but in reality they have been around for several years. They are originally known as hand held baked apple pies. You could also fold over the circle into a half round and fry them. Either way they are delicious. Bump them up by drizzling caramel or a sugar glaze over the top. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thank you for sharing your recipe

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am based in the UK and I am not familiar with the measurement of what a stick of butter weighs

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. According to Google, a stick of butter is equal to 113 grams.

      Delete

We'd love to hear from you!