Recipe: Mini Apple Pies

My husband loves Entenmann's Apple Puffs. But most of the time I look for them in the store, I can't find them. Then a video popped up a few times in my Facebook newsfeed on how to make these at home. I figured this was a perfect solution, I can make them anytime I want and I know what ingredients are going into them. And I'll probably get more than what I get in the Entenmann's box.

When I couldn't sleep last night, I figured, why not give them a try. I searched Pinterest to try and find the video and couldn't, but after some searching, I was able to locate the original instructional video from Tip Hero. I wrote down the directions and ingredients and headed to the kitchen.

I've made it easy for you and listed everything here. I'll add my comments and suggestions after the recipe.

Mini Apple Pies

1 box pie crust
4 c. diced Granny Smith apples
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. apple pie spice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. cornstarch
Egg wash
Frosting recipe

1. Peel, core and dice apples
2. Add brown sugar, apple pie spice, cinnamon and salt
3. Mix together until apples are fully coated
4. Melt butter in a pan and add apple mixture. Mix thoroughly and add cornstarch. Cook until the juice is nice and thick
5. Roll out 1 pie crust. Scoop cooked apple mixture onto pie crust, spacing far enough apart to allow for edges
6. Brush pie crust with egg wash to help top pie crust stick
7. Place top pie crust on top and use a cookie cutter to make a "pocket"
8. Remove extra pie crust and pinch edges of pockets with a fork
9. Brush tops with egg wash and put a slit in the top to vent
10. Put on parchment paper and bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes
11. When cooled, mix powdered sugar, milk and vanilla to make frosting
12. Drizzle over pies and serve


I realize the many of these videos are posted by people who have made them more than once and make it look so much easier than it really is. These were not incredibly difficult, however, I have a few suggestions/observations

My "pies"

- For me, 4 cups of apples were WAY too much. I have a lot of leftover cooked apple mixture, but it's gonna go great with some vanilla ice cream! When I make regular apple pie, I use half Granny Smith and half Gala, so I did that here too.
- I didn't have apple pie spice and it didn't make a difference.
- In the video it appears that she gets quiet a few "pies" out of a standard pie crust, I was only able to get 7 and there was a lot of leftover crust.
- I didn't have a cookie cutter in this shape, but found a drinking glass was a great substitute.
- While the pies were good, it really tasted more like a mini apple pie than a puff. Next time, I'm going to try a puff pastry.
- She didn't give instructions for the egg wash so I just looked it up, maybe it was a different egg wash than she used, but the pies didn't brown as nicely as hers did.
- 15-18 minutes in the oven didn't seem to be quite enough, could also be my oven, so start with that timing and adjust as necessary.
- I also looked up the recipe for the frosting, it was entirely too watery, so I made it a glaze.
- All in all, these were pretty good and an okay substitute for the original. I'll definitely be working to perfect this one!!

Oreo and Peanut Butter Brownie Cakes

When it's that time of the month, I want chocolate. I want sweets. But this time i didn't just want cookies, or cakes. I wanted something that I could pack a sweet tooth punch, while keeping the portion size and diet in check. So, I do what I always do when I need inspiration, I take to my Pinterest boards. I opened my baking board cause that's where all the good stuff is, and started scrolling. 

The entire board looked good. But I wanted something that had it all. I finally came across a recipe that I had pinned ages ago - Oreo and Peanut Butter Brownie Cakes. Mmmmm. SOLD!!!

What You'll Need
Creamy peanut butter
1 package original Oreos
1 box brownie mix of your choice (and the ingredients listed on the box)
Muffin tins
Cupcake liners (you won't need these if you use silicone muffin tins)

Yield: 18

How to Make Them

First, I lined all my muffin tins and prepared the brownie mix according to the box directions. Then started putting my Oreo "sandwiches" together. 

Spread some peanut butter on the top of an Oreo and place another Oreo on top. For some extra peanut butter loveliness, spread some peanut butter on top of that too. My husband LOVES peanut butter and greatly appreciated this. This was also how they looked in the original post, but there was no mention of it in the directions. 

Before putting the cake in the cupcake liner, if you are using one, add some brownie mix as a base. I found that the paper liner stuck to the bottom Oreo when I cooked them. 

The original post suggested 2 tablespoons of brownie mix. I didn't measure to be honest. For the first spoonful, I made sure that I coated the entire cake.

For the second spoonful, I left just enough room for the brownie to rise. This seemed to be a pretty accurate measure.

The original recipe called for 18-20 minutes on 350 degrees. I did bake them at 350, but baked them closer to a half an hour. That could just be a variation in my oven, so make sure you check them at around 18 minutes to be sure. I knew they were done when the top was firm. 

Um, can you say yum? 

These were rather easy and quick to make. However, I do think that if I make them again, I will experiment with only one Oreo in the middle. The Oreos didn't get soft, so it made it a little dry, so have a a large glass of milk ready.