Mini Apple Pies Recipe

Make the crust. Cut each stick of butter into about 8 pieces and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Prepare the ice water. (See notes.)

In the bowl of a food processor, place the flour, sugar and salt. Pulse to combine.

When the butter is frozen, add it to the food processor. 

Pulse about 15 times, until the butter is in small crumbs.

With the food processor running, add the ice water. 

Continue blending until the dough starts to come together, no more than 30 seconds.

Turn the dough out onto a clean countertop and divide it in half.

Form each half of the dough into a square. Wrap the squares in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 30-40 minutes.

While the crust is chilling, prepare the filling. Peel and thinly slice the apples.

Chop the slices in pieces that are smaller than 1-inch.

In a large bowl, mix the apples with brown sugar, cardamom and salt. (See notes.)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of the dough into a square, about 11x11-inches.

Trim off the uneven edges. You can cut out small decorative shapes from these scraps, or bake them as-is dusted with cinnamon sugar as an extra treat, but don't gather them up and re-roll them or the dough will become tough.

Cut the dough into thirds in one direction, then the other, to form nine small squares. Repeat with the other portion of the dough.

Press each square into a muffin pan. If you only have one 6 or 12-cup muffin pan, save the extra squares, covered in the refrigerator, for another batch.

Place a small scoop of the filling into the bottom of each dough cup.

Fold the corners of the dough over the filling. Optionally, place a small cutout of extra dough onto the top of each pie. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is lightly golden.

Let the pies cool in the pan, then remove and serve. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Enjoy!