These Mini Apple Ginger Pies with their cheddar cheese crust are a blend of amazing flavors.
The apples bring in some sweetness, the ginger and cinnamon add that spicy kick, and the cheese throws in a savory twist. It all comes together for a taste that's just right. Perfectly balanced and irresistibly delicious.
Mini Apple Ginger Pies (with a cheddar cheese crust)
The crust gives off a classic rustic charm, being deliciously buttery, enhanced by the bold flavor of sharp cheddar. Plus the perfectly spiced apples bake tender yet hold their shape nicely.
Perfect for anytime you want a little dessert happiness, or just when you're craving something yummy. These mini Apple Ginger pies are your go-to treat, no occasion needed!
Visual instructions
Here are step by step pictures so you can see what the dough at each stage should look like.
The full printable recipe with amounts and instructions are at the end of this post.
Start by making the cheddar pastry
1 and 2: In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup (120g) all purpose flour, ½ cup (56g) shredded cheddar cheese and ¼ teaspoon salt. (add ½ teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter) Combine well.
- Mix in ⅓ cup (75g) salted butter butter and cut in with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add 3 tablespoons (45ml) of ice water ((plus a little more as needed). Incorporate with a fork until the flour is just mixed with the water
- Bring the mixture together into a dough. If it is very crumbly, add another Tablespoon of ice water, a little at a time, until a soft dough is formed. The dough should feel a little sticky, but not overly wet. Do not add any more water than you need
- Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20-30 minutes. During this time you can prepare the apple filling.
- In a large bowl add 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 5 cups (500g) diced apples, ½ cup (100g) white granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon salt and 3 Tablespoons diced candied ginger. (If you do not have candied ginger, you can use ½ teaspoon ground ginger instead)
- Mix all together until thoroughly combined. Set filling aside as you roll out the pie crust.
- Once the crust has cooled, cut it in half.
- Sprinkle some flour on your work surface, and then roll out the first half of the dough until it's about ⅛ inch thick. Use a 4-inch cookie cutter (10cm) or a cup to cut out circles. Re-roll the dough and cut until you have 12 circles (these are measurements for a standard muffin pan and will make 12 standard individual mini pies )
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The pictures in this post display apple pies that were baked using a jumbo muffin pan.
If you prefer using a jumbo muffin pan, simply cut the pastry into larger circles, roughly 6 inches (approximately 15 cm) in diameter.
This adjustment will yield six jumbo individual apple pies
- Press each circle of pie crust into 12 cavities of a standard muffin pan (or 6 cavities if using a jumbo muffin pan) You want the crust to fit in the bottom and snuggly around the sides.
- Take the remaining half of the dough and cut it into strips if you're going for a lattice pattern, similar to the images in this post. Alternatively, for a quick and simple pie topping, use small cookie cutters to cut out decorative shapes.
- Divide the apple pie filling evenly among the pie crusts. Add cut-out shapes on top or create a lattice pattern if you've cut strips. Lightly brush the surfaces with either a small amount of milk or a blend of milk and one beaten egg. Optionally, you can sprinkle a bit of brown sugar over the crust.
- Bake for 20 - 25 minutes (if you used a 12 cup muffin pan) or 30 -35 minutes (if you used a 6 cup jumbo muffin pan)
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You can serve these mini apple pies either warm or after they have cooled. For an extra treat, pair them with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Storage
Once they've completely cooled, store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Alternatively, you can refrigerate them in an airtight container for 5-7 days for extended freshness.
Tips
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If you don’t have a round cookie cutter, you can use the rim of a glass to cut the dough.
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As a substitute to fresh apples, you can use canned apple pie filling.
-
Instead of slicing the apples, we dice them into small cubes. The apples will break down as they bake and release their juices. As they cool, the broken-down baked apples will draw back the liquid creating the perfect apple pie filling.
RECIPE
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour (same as plain flour -UK OR cake flour)
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ teaspoon salt (add ½ teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter)
- ⅓ cup salted butter
- 3 tablespoons of ice water (plus a little more as needed)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 5 cups apples, cored, peeled and diced
- ½ cup white or brown granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons diced candied ginger. (If you do not have candied ginger, you can use ½ teaspoon ground ginger instead)
Instructions
- Make the pie dough: In a large bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, shredded cheddar cheese and salt (add ½ teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter). Combine well.1 cup all purpose flour, ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Mix in salted butter and cut in with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.⅓ cup salted butter
- Add ice water. Incorporate with a fork until the flour is just mixed with the water.3 tablespoons of ice water
- Bring the mixture together into a dough. If it is very crumbly, add another Tablespoon of ice water, a little at a time, until a soft dough is formed. The dough should feel a little sticky, but not overly wet. Do not add any more water than you need
- Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20-30 minutes. During this time you can prepare the apple filling.
- Make the apple pie filling: In a large bowl fresh lemon juice, diced apples, white granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, salt and diced candied ginger. (If you do not have candied ginger, you can use ½ teaspoon ground ginger instead)2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 5 cups apples, cored, peeled and diced, ½ cup white or brown granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 3 Tablespoons diced candied ginger.
- Mix all together until thoroughly combined. Set filling aside as you roll out the pie crust.
- Roll out the chilled pie dough: Sprinkle a little flour on your work surface, and then roll out the first half of the dough until it's about ⅛ inch (3mm) thick. Use a 4-inch (10cm) cookie cutter or a cup to cut out circles.
- Re-roll the dough and cut until you have 12 circles (these are measurements for a standard muffin pan and will make 12 standard individual mini pies )
- The pictures in this post display apple pies that were baked using a jumbo muffin pan.
- If you prefer using a jumbo muffin pan, simply cut the pastry into larger circles, roughly 6 inches (approximately 15 cm) in diameter. This adjustment will yield six jumbo individual apple pies
- Grease with butter or spray the muffin pan with cooking spray. Press each circle of pie crust into 12 cavities of a standard muffin pan (or 6 cavities if using a jumbo muffin pan) You want the crust to fit in the bottom and snuggly around the sides.
- Take the remaining half of the dough and cut it into strips if you're going for a lattice pattern, similar to the images in this post. Alternatively, for a quick and simple pie topping, use small cookie cutters to cut out decorative shapes.
- Fill and bake: Divide the apple pie filling evenly among the pie crusts. Add cut-out shapes on top or create a lattice pattern if you've cut strips. Lightly brush the surfaces with either a small amount of milk or a blend of milk and one beaten egg. Optionally, you can sprinkle a bit of brown sugar over the crust.
- Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven , and preheat to 356° F / 180° C (160° C fan).
- Bake for 20 - 25 minutes (if you used a 12 - cup standard muffin pan) or 30 -35 minutes (if you used a 6 - cup jumbo muffin pan)
- You can serve these mini apple pies either warm or after they have cooled. For an extra treat, pair them with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
- Once they've completely cooled, store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Alternatively, you can refrigerate them in an airtight container for 5-7 days for extended freshness.
Nutrition
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