Mini Caramel Apple Pies*

By srumbel

Ingredients

• Crust
• 1 16 oz. pkg. Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• Filling
• 3 1/2 cups peeled and chopped (1/2-1”) Granny Smith apples ( 4-5 apples)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp EACH salt, ground ginger, ground nutmeg
• 6 soft caramels like Kraft
• Streusel
• 1/3 cup pecans
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter chilled and cut into pieces
• Caramel Drizzle (Optional)
• 10 soft caramels
• 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Details

Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 45mins

Preparation

Step 1

Crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray with FLOUR or grease and flour your pan.
Cut cookie dough into 12 even slices and press into the bottom and up the sides of prepared muffin cups.* Bake for 15 minutes then remove from oven.

Filling

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, ground ginger and nutmeg and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
Add caramels and continue to cook until caramels are completely melted and apples are tender, about 3 additional minutes. Remove from heat.

Streusel

While the apples are cooking, add pecans flour, sugar and cinnamon and pulse until pecans are mostly chopped. Sprinkle cold butter over top and pulse until the mixture resembles small pebbles. (You may also combine in a bowl and cut butter in by hand).

Assemble

Remove filling using a slotted spoon and evenly divide it between sugar cookie crusts (about 1 ½ tablespoons each). You may need to press cookie crust down with the back of a tablespoon if they are still puffed up. Top each pie with 1 tablespoon streusesl and push into pie. Top evenly with remaining streusel (leave loose). Bake an additional 5-7 minutes or until crusts and streusel are golden.
Cool COMPLETELY before removing from muffin tin or they will fall apart. When cooled, run a sharp knife along the edge of each pie before gently removing.

Caramel Drizzle (optional)

Add caramels, heavy cream and salt to a medium microwave safe dish. Microwave for 1 ½ minutes then whisk vigorously until smooth. Microwave an additional 30 seconds if needed. Drizzle over pies just before serving - NOT BEFORE or the streusel will get soggy.

Serve

If you love warm apple pie, then microwave for a few seconds before servings but honestly, these Mini Caramel Apple Pies area so good just as they are! Drizzle Caramel Apple pies with Caramel (optional).

Recipe Notes

*TIP: I dip my fingertips in flour before I press the dough into the cups – this makes the dough super easy to work and keeps your fingers from sticking to the dough.
Del Monte

Servings: 12