Mini Apple Streusel

One of the suggestions on the back of the Sanders caramel sauce is to use it as an apple dip… and we happened to have apples. Then it mentioned a topping for apple pie. We didn’t have nearly enough apples for apple pie, but I remembered a pin that I saw once on Pinterest about mini apple pies. I wasn’t about to make a whole recipe of crust for two tiny pies, so I looked around the internet a bit and found this, which included a recipe for two pies.

And then my mom convinced me that I really wanted to make apple streusel, not apple pie. So I made the whole recipe for the crust, and just made four pies instead of two. This crust is one of the flakiest crusts I’ve ever tasted. And it slides out of the ramekin without being greased.

I ended up using two and a half apples instead of the one that the recipe calls for, though I didn’t add more of anything else to the mixture.

I put them in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees on a baking sheet (it was easier to get them in and out) and started the streusel.

It looked a little like this. It was from this recipe… and it wasn’t very good. Next time, I’m using a real streusel recipe, like the one I found here. But, it adds a sort of dryness to the pie that I’m a big fan of.

I topped the pies with the streusel and baked them another 15 minutes. Then we ate dinner and let them cool…

And then we devoured them.

Here’s the recipe:

Crust

1 cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons shortening
a pinch of salt
2-3 tablespoons cold water

Pie Filling

2 1/2 apples
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon butter softened
a pinch of salt

Streusel

Cut shortening into flour and add salt. Combine until mixture is crumbly and even sizes pieces. Add water until dough forms into a ball. Cut into 4 equal pieces.

Peel and core apples, cut into thin slices. Add remaining pie filling ingredients and toss to combine.

Mix streusel ingredients in a bowl.

Press the dough into four 3″ ramekins. Place half the apple mixture in each ramekin, then bake at 350 for 45 minutes.