One of the challenges in pie crust making (by challenge I mean blessing) is that it usually makes enough for 2 pies. And sometimes, you can use the other half for the crust/topping/deep dish-ifying of the pie, but other times, you're stuck with extra crust. If I had a big family or other mouths to feed, I wouldn't even hesitate about whipping that baby into a second pie, but when its just me, another pie just for myself seems a bit excessive. I mean, lets be real...finishing it isn't the problem (ha, I laugh at the idea of not being able to finish a pie!). Its what the finishing of said pie will do to my hips.
So instead, I figured I would challenge myself to be creative with my left over crust. First though, I had to the get the thought of that second pie out of my head. Enter: Mini Apple Pie!
I have these precious Le Creuset mini baking dishes--they are about 5 x 5 and the best size to bake anything for one person when you don't want lots of left overs. They're probably not intended for pie baking, but my pie baked perfectly in it. And it was delicious.
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Apple Pie for one
adapted from Ina Garten
Pie Dough
I used this recipe for my Pecan Pie and wasn't a huge fan of it in that, but it was awesome for this apple pie.
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 sticks of cold unsalted butter, cut up
1/4 - 1/2 cups ice water
Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in your food processor until mixed up.
Add your butter and pulse until the mixture is in pea size crumbles
add 1/4 cups of water and check your dough: it should be crumbly, but hold together if you pinch it with your fingers. If it doesn't add the other 1/4 cup, 1 tbsp at a time, until it does.
Separate into two discs and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using
I used just under 1/4 of this recipe for the mini apple pie
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Apple Pie Filling
1 apple, peeled and chopped
zest & juice of 1/4 lemon
zest & juice of 1/4 orange
1/2 - 1 tbsp water
2 tbsp granulated sugar + a little more for sprinkling
heaping 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp pumpkin spice mix
(that was all I had...but apple pie spice mix would obviously be good too)
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roll out your pie dough until its fairy thin (1/4 inch or so) and fit it into your mini dish, trimming off the excess. Refrigerate until you're ready to use it.
dump your chopped apple into a bowl and mix in the zest and juice of both the lemon and orange, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and pumpkin/apple spice mix--stir it up.
If it seems super sticky and dry, add in the tbsp of water. You want everything to stick to the apples, but not in a clumpy way.
Pour your mixture into your crust
(hello gorgeous spicy sweet apple chunks. I adore you)
Use the rest of your dough to make a mini lattice, or cover up the entire pie to make a mini deep-dish pie (Like Ina's!)
If you made a crust or lattice, sprinkle a bit of the sugar on top of it
Bake for about 30min, until your crust is golden and the apples are bubbling.
Take out and cover with aluminum foil and let it cool before digging in.
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Thats it! Its super easy and a yummy way to treat yourself without creating dangerous amounts of leftover pie.
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream for heaven in a bowl.