Mini Apple Pies

This is the apple pie hack for nights when you want fresh-baked pie but not the project of making one. Refrigerated biscuit dough rolls flat into 3 to 4 inch circles, gets filled with cinnamon-sugar chopped apple and raisins, and folds up like little dumplings into muffin cups. Eleven to thirteen minutes in the oven and you’ve got ten hand pies still warm enough to scorch fingers.

Refrigerated biscuit dough is the speed shortcut. Pillsbury or store-brand canned biscuits work equally well, and the dough behaves predictably without the temperature sensitivity of homemade pastry.

Chop the apple finely (¼-inch dice or smaller). Larger pieces won’t cook through in the short bake time and leave crunchy raw bits in the middle of each pie. Raisins plump during baking and contribute chewy bursts of sweetness.

A tablespoon of filling per pie is the right amount. More and the seal won’t hold; less and the pie tastes like all bread. Pinch the dough firmly at the top to seal, then place seam-side down in the muffin cup so the seal sets during baking.

Pro Tips

• Use the larger refrigerated ‘Grand’ biscuits if you can find them. They give a more substantial pie with more dough-to-filling ratio.
• Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before baking for an extra-pretty finish.
• Place the muffin tin on a baking sheet to catch any filling that escapes. Overflows are common and burn onto oven floors.
• If reheating, warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5 minutes. Microwaving makes the dough rubbery.

Variations

• Add 1 tablespoon of chopped walnuts or pecans to the filling for crunch.
• Swap raisins for chopped dried apricots or dried cranberries for different fruit notes.
• Drizzle with caramel sauce or vanilla glaze (powdered sugar + milk + vanilla) after baking for extra sweetness.