Alright, peeps. We're down to the wire. This is it. I have one last Thanksgiving-worthy recipe for you to add to your festivities. This one is very familiar and altogether different at the same time: Mini Apple Cranberry Pies
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Is apple cranberry pie something that most people have had? I feel like maybe this is one of those ones that you've either never had it, or it's a family tradition that you see year after year. I had never eaten one before this, but after making these mini pies, it might be a tradition for my family now!
These little beauties are filled with diced apples, fresh cranberries, and the holiday magic of orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. I chose sweeter apples (gala) to bake with to offset the tartness of the cranberries. If you prefer a tart pie, use some granny smith apples! Also, while I skipped this step on the pies pictured, I will in the future add a sprinkle of sugar to the tops of the pies before they're baked (this is included as an optional step in the recipe).
Growing up, the cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving was the jelly kind in the can. You know the one. The one that stays in the shape of the can and you have a beautiful little slice on your plate with your turkey and all the other thanksgiving goodness. In my family, my Grandma (my Mom's Mom) and I were pretty much the only ones who ate it. She used to tease me that she was going to eat it all. I will never, ever see that cranberry sauce without thinking of her.
Years after my Grandma passed away was the first time that I tried making my own homemade cranberry sauce. Now, can-shaped jelly cranberry sauce will always have a special, nostalgic place in my heart. That said, I wish that I gotten to share my homemade cranberry sauce with my Grandma. She may have actually eaten it all. 😉
These little pies are like an apple pie and my homemade cranberry sauce had a baby. A delicious, delicious baby. So, it was all the more fitting that I made them into baby pies (plus, we all know how much I love mini desserts). I used four 5" mini pie pans for this recipe. You could make one large (9") pie, but you will likely need a little more filling and a longer bake time to ensure your filling is cooked through.
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Although I specify that this recipe is Thanksgiving-worthy, it's certainly worthy of any other day as well. I think these Mini Apple Cranberry Pies will be making another appearance at my house this holiday season!
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Mini Apple Cranberry Pies
Ingredients
Crust:
- 3 cups flour
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable shortening
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 7 tablespoon water, cold
Apple Cranberry Filling:
- 2 cups diced apples, about ½" dice (from about two apples; see note
- 1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- zest of one orange
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch ground nutmeg
- pinch ground cloves
Egg Wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
For Crust:
- In a large bowl, combine flour and shortening. Using a pastry blender (see note) or fork, cut shortening in until no large pieces remain.
- In a small bowl, combine egg, vinegar, and cold water. Whisk to combine.
- Make wells in the flour mixture and pour the egg mixture into the wells. Stir until a soft dough is formed. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly into a ball. Cut dough in half.
- Roll the first half of the dough to ¼" thickness, and cut as necessary to fit the mini pie pans (see note). Line the pie pans, taking care not to stretch the dough (as this may cause it to shrink when baked). Set lined pie pans aside.
For Filling:
- Place apples and cranberries in a medium bowl. Add remaining filling ingredients and gently toss to coat.
Assembly/Baking:
- Divide apple cranberry filling evenly between the four mini pie pans (see note).
- Roll the second half of the crust to ¼" thickness and cut as necessary to cover the top of each mini pie. You can use the remaining dough to decorate the tops of the pies as you desire.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare the egg wash, and brush over the tops of each of the pies. If desired, sprinkle sugar over the top of each pie. Place the pies on a baking sheet and bake 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden. Place pies on a wire rack to cool.Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate.
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