“They’re adorable!” That’s what Rachel in Marketing called them.
I love pies. I love little pies. These are a different take on little pies . . . because they’re loaded with cream cheese or Bavarian cream along with the fresh fruit. That makes them really good.
They’re a quick, easy option to apple pies. The little cups are made with squares of dough with a filling on the bottom, spiced apples on top and then baked. Ali Neff, who helps us in the kitchen and worked in a pastry shop in Utah, introduced these to me. They are quick enough and can be made in large quantities so we’ve made and served them in our store.
We’ve made these two ways: with a yeasted dough and with a pie crust. They’re both good. We used mixes for the shells, premade Bavarian cream or cream cheese pastry filings, and fresh fruit. That cuts way back on the prep time. If you choose, you can use a recipe for the dough. You can also make your own frosting with powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.
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Apple Pie Blossoms with Yeast Dough
1 Donut Cinnamon Bun Mix
2-1/2 cups diced, peeled apples
2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1-1/2 tablespoon Original Clearjel or cornstarch
Cream Cheese premade pastry filling
1/2 cup premade Cinnamon Bun Frosting or other glaze
1/3 cup cinnamon sugar from the cinnamon sugar packet in the mix
Yield: 12
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix the dough according to package instructions. Set aside and let rise until about doubled.
- Roll the dough into a 10 1/2-inch by 14-inch rectangle. Cut the dough into twelve 3 1/2-inch square pieces (three rows by four rows).
- Grease 12 cavities in standard muffin pans. Place a dough square in each.
- Toss the apples with the lemon juice. Toss the apples with the cinnamon-sugar and Clearjel or cornstarch. Add the nuts.
- Clip the corner off a pack of cream cheese filling and squeeze a 1/4-inch layer of cream cheese filling into each cup.
- Divide the apple and nut filling between the cups.
- Bake for 18 minutes or until the dough is baked and a light brown.
- Let the pan cool for five minutes only and then remove the desserts from the cups.
- Drizzle with a glaze and serve
Apple Pie Blossoms with Pie Dough
You can use pre-made pie crust if you choose.
2-3/4 cups Professional Pie Crust Mix plus 7 tablespoons water or equal
2-1/2 cups diced, peeled apples
2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 -1/2 tablespoons Original Clearjel or cornstarch
Cream Cheese premade pastry filling
1/2 cup premade Cinnamon Bun Frosting or equal
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Yield: 15
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix the pie crust mix and water according to package instructions.
- Roll the dough into a 17 1/2-inch square rectangle. Cut the dough into fifteen 3 1/2-inch square pieces.
- Grease 15 cavities in standard muffin pans. Place a dough square in each.
- Toss the apples with the lemon juice. Toss the apples with the cinnamon-sugar and Clearjel or cornstarch. Add the walnuts.
- Clip the corner off a pack of cream cheese filling and squeeze a 1/4-inch layer of cream cheese filling into each cup.
- Divide the apple and nut filling between the cups.
- Bake for 17 minutes or until the dough is baked and a light brown.
- Let the pan cool for five minutes only and then remove the desserts from the cups.
- Drizzle with a glaze and serve.
About the Author
Dennis Weaver has burned food from Point Barrow, Alaska, to Miami, Florida. He is the founder of The Prepared Pantry in Rigby, Idaho and the author of How to Bake: The Art and Science of Baking available as an E-book or as a Kindle book on Amazon.
Dennis lives in Rigby, Idaho, with his wife, Merri Ann. They have five wonderful children and five beautiful granddaughters.