Happy Friday, everyone! I’ve been in the midst of a 6-day vacation from work (I’ve been out of the office since Wednesday and I return next Tuesday) just because I needed a break- but before I left- I wanted to make a quick treat for some of my co-workers since we’ve all been busting our asses in recent weeks and I thought it’d be a nice change of pace for a bit. I’d seen a couple of variations of this recipe floating around on social media and Pinterest over the past few days- and finally caved in and tried making my own variation of it. After a quick stop at Michael’s Arts & Crafts to pick up these cute glass mini mason-jars and gathering some apples I had recently picked at a local orchard- I was ready to put my canning/jarring skills to the test.
The recipe below will make 6 jars. I had to double up on everything to accommodate 12 co-workers (excluding myself).
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 baking apples, peeled and chopped (like Honeycrisp, Granny Smith or McIntosh)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 packages store-bought pie dough (4 circles total)
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1½ teaspoons turbinado sugar
READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Have ready six ¼ pint (½ cup) mason jars on a baking sheet.
- In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apples and sauté until nearly tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the sugar, flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and vanilla extract, and sauté for 2 minutes more. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it is flat and slightly thinner than it originally was. Cut the dough into six 3-inch circles and six 2-inch circles.
- Press a 3-inch circle into a mason jar, pressing it firmly to the base and sides and taking care not to poke holes in the dough. Trim any excess from the top edge with a paring knife. Repeat with the remaining 3-inch circles and jars.
- Scoop the cooled filling into the pastry-lined jars, mounding it about ½ inch over the top rim.
- Place the 2-inch rounds over the filling and tuck the edges under so they meet the edge of the jar. Crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork. Chill the pies for 10 minutes.
- While the pies chill, whisk the egg and water together to combine. Brush the egg wash over each pie top, and then sprinkle the top of each with ½ teaspoon turbinado sugar. Cut small vents into the top of each pie with a paring knife.
- Bake until the pies are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
I would like to mention that I didn’t fold over or crimp the tops of the pie crusts to the jars since I didn’t want to risk them getting damaged during transport from my home to the office. Instead, I cooked them separately as individual discs and brought them with me to place on top of the jars as they were being served. For the record- nobody seemed to mind!
These were a big hit with my co-workers, which made me happy- and when I tried one that I had made for myself when I got home after I’d left work for the day/week- I had no complaints! These came out amazing and I think they’re going to be a success when I attempt them again this coming Thanksgiving. I’m actually thinking of trying some different versions, as well- like lemon meringue and key lime pie.
I’m kinda’ craving one right now, actually.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
xx
– Ashley –
Blondie Birdie 