First order of Business, Mini apple pies!
Filling:
7 fist sized apples (any kind you like, I used macintosh this time)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter
Peel and core apples then cut into slices (I cut the quartered pieces in half if i'm making mini ones). Melt butter in a large saute pan, add apples and cook for approx 5-7 minutes (depending on how crisp you like your apples, test the texture because different apples have different breakdown times). Add sugar (this is approximate use more or less depending on your preference). Add your spices. I only add cinnamon but you can add cloves and nutmeg if you like. Cook down for another few minutes.
In a small bowl combine lemon juice and cornstarch. Add to your apple mixture and remove from heat. Mix until well combined and cool completely.
Dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1 cup unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar (optional, I don't add any)
6 to 8 Tbsp ice water (put bottle of water in the freezer until very cold but not frozen)
ut the flour, salt, and sugar (if using), in a food processor. Hit pulse a few times to aerate the flour. Add the butter one slice at a time hitting the pulse setting with each new addition, until the butter is done and you have a coarse crumb texture. Do not overwork the dough otherwise it will get tough.
Transfer to bowl and add water one table spoon at a time using a fork to "fluff" it up. Again do not overwork the dough. Once you have a mound that is dough like, cover it with plastic and put it in the fridge for a minimum of one hour.
Preheat oven to 350 °F.
Flour your work surface and roll the dough out. Don't knead it too much at this stage either, just enough to roll it out. Cut dough and shape into greased muffin tins or pie pan. Add pie filling and put into oven for 20 mins for muffin tins or 50 for pie pan, or until golden brown.
***For the top you can either do a traditional crust by covering the entire pie top with a sheet of the dough and piercing it with three slits, you can do lattice pies (like mine) or you can leave it without a top crust, whichever you prefer.I also like to do an eggwash on top of my crust to give it that nice golden colour. Just combine one egg and a bit of milk in a bowl, mix and brush on top of crust. Sprinkle sugar on top for added sparkle and crunch.