Two Personal Sized Caramel Apple Pies

There are some days where you just NEED dessert.  Some of those days though I either don't trust myself to make a whole pie without wanting to eat the whole thing myself (ugh, I'd be so regretful and sick!), or I lack the ingredients to make much.  On days like that, two personal sized caramel apple pies are perfect!  Clearly these are for Jeff and myself to enjoy after the kids go to bed.  Shh!

The only thing that could have made these better would have been if I'd remembered to get vanilla ice cream.  A scoop on top would not go amiss.


Two Personal Sized Caramel Apple Pies

Ingredients:

• 3 large apples (I used fuji), peeled and diced
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup Kraft caramel bits
• tiny pinch of salt
• 1 ready made pie crust (I like Pillsbury)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon decorating sugar

Directions:

1. Place the diced apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, caramel bits, and salt into a pot and stir on medium until the apples are soft and the caramel has fully melted.  It should smell amazing.
2. Take the pot off the heat and let cool.
3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Take two oven safe pie tins, tart pans, whatever you have that are about 4 inches wide and lightly spray with PAM.
4. Unroll your ready made pie crust and cut out 4 evenly sized circles (I had a round cookie cutter about 5 inches across which worked perfectly).  If you don't have a large round cookie cutter use a glass or small bowl turned upside down.  Place a crust circle in the bottom of each pan, stretching them out a little if the sides are too short.
5. Scoop the apple pie filling evenly into the two pans.  Make a lattice crust with the two remaining crust circles and top the pies with them.  
6. Brush an egg wash over the lattice top and sprinkle the decorating sugar over the tops.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, then remove and let cool completely.  Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Pie

Who doesn't love pie?  Crazy people I guess.  This pie is delicious (and totally gone.  It really didn't last long!) and smells amazing.  Plus, it was super easy to make, and didn't require very many ingredients.

I know what you're probably thinking.  Geez, that crazy girl is posting ANOTHER dessert?  Does she ever make real food?  Okay, maybe you weren't thinking that.  ...But you probably are now I guess.  I do really love baking.  The smell alone is wonderful, but also because sometimes I get busy or really want something familiar.  I have posted many real food recipes, and I have more favorites that I won't post because they aren't mine, and I tend to not try as many new dinners as I do desserts.  I will try to post more savory dishes soon though.

Plus, look at these pictures.  Who wouldn't want to have this in their house?  It's a good thing I have three boys with sweet tooths here to eat most of my desserts or I'd be in real trouble.

I totally cheated and used a store bought pie crust.  I'll make pie crust if I have to, but in general if I'm going to cheat in my desserts it's going to be using store bough pie crust or puff pastry.  I'm pretty sure I'm NEVER going to make puff pastry.  EVER.

This pie is flat because I have a 10" pie pan and an 8" or 9" is really preferable.  Pies are so much prettier with a bit of a domed center.

Pies are even better a la mode.  Seriously, a scoop of vanilla ice cream on this pie is heavenly.

Caramel Apple Pie

Ingredients:

• 8 apples, peeled and thinly sliced (I used braeburn and fuji)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 Cup Kraft caramel bits
• a pinch of salt (forgo if using salted butter)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 3/4 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 package 2 rolled pie crusts

Directions:

1. In a large pot on medium heat stir together the apple slices, lemon juice, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, and salt.  Stir occasionally to mix and prevent sticking.  Remove from heat when the apples have softened, and the caramels have melted.The mixture should not be overly runny.  Stir in the vanilla.
2.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Spray your pie pan with cooking spray and lay out the bottom crust.  Pour in the pie filling.  Apply the top crust.  I like using a lattice, but a full top is fine too.  Just be sure to cut a few slits in the top.
3. Beat the egg and gently brush it over the crust.  Sprinkle the sugar over the wash.
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the crust is golden.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the counter before storing in the refrigerator.  Do not be concerned if the pie looks runny when hot.  Once the caramel cools the pie will firm up nicely.  Enjoy by itself or a la mode!

Happy New Year's Eve!

Forgot to go to the store to get a few bottles of sparkling cider? Not want to buy a huge bottle when you just want a single glass?  Not a problem.  All you need is apple juice and seltzer. You can taste the difference with better quality juice, but whatever you have handy is fine.

This is such a simple drink (thanks for thinking of it Tova!)

Sparkling Apple Cider
Ingredients:

• apple juice
• seltzer (from a soda stream or bottle)

Directions:

1. Pour equal parts juice and seltzer into a glass or pitcher.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

I hope everyone had a great 2015.  I know I did.  This was one of the first years I had New Year's resolutions and stuck to them.  I don't know if it's because I picked more than one resolution, or if it's because I didn't pick an open-ended, generic one (like" lose some weight").  My resolutions this year were to sew an Amy Butler Weekender bag, the most behemoth of bags , and to finish this reading list.



I haven't quite finished this list yet, but I'm on the last book I need and it's an audio book, so it takes FOREVER.  This list is so long, I'm just going to count it as finished.  As someone who had never done it before, completing New Year's resolutions feels great.

Here's the finished Weekender bag by the way:

I have my New Year's resolutions all figured out for 2016 too.  I liked this book list so much I'm planning on following the next one.  Here's a copy:




A whole new set of books.  Yay!  I also plan on figuring out how to do a headstand.  Maybe I'll even post a ridiculous looking selfie of my headstand this coming year.