Mini Cardamom Apple Pies: Delightful Hand Pies for Holiday Gatherings

Mini cardamom apple pies – perfectly portioned, lattice-topped apple hand pies, beautifully spiced with cinnamon and cardamom, and baked conveniently in a muffin tray.

As the festive season approaches, it’s easy to feel a little overwhelmed by the whirlwind of preparations. The run-up to Christmas often feels like a race against time, with endless lists of shopping, recipe planning, and event organizing. Sometimes, it feels like I’m constantly playing catch-up, especially when the dark, gloomy days of winter set in, making motivation a scarce commodity. Missing ‘Stir Up Sunday’ or not having all your Christmas plans set in stone can leave you feeling a bit behind, but there’s a simple, comforting solution that always seems to brighten the mood: baking.

While the lack of natural light might not be ideal for capturing perfect photographs of freshly baked treats, these shorter, darker days are absolutely perfect for staying home and filling your kitchen with the warm, inviting aromas of spices and sweet apples. Crafting these delectable mini cardamom apple pies certainly went a long way in boosting my holiday spirit. There’s something inherently charming about individual portions, and the process of making these small wonders is a therapeutic escape from the holiday hustle.

Why Mini Apple Pies Are Your New Favorite Holiday Treat

There’s an undeniable charm to miniature desserts, and mini pies are no exception. They possess a cuteness that their full-sized counterparts simply can’t match. While they might require a touch more patience and a bit more fiddling in the preparation stage, the effort is undeniably worth it. The advantages of these delightful mini hand pies are numerous: they are incredibly portable, making them perfect for holiday potlucks, picnics, or even a grab-and-go snack. More importantly, they offer perfectly controlled, individual servings, eliminating the need for plates and forks and making them ideal for mingling at parties or for a simple, personal indulgence.

Beyond their adorable appearance, mini apple pies baked in a muffin tin provide a consistent baking experience, ensuring each pie cooks evenly to a golden-brown perfection. They are less intimidating to make than a large pie, and the individual nature allows for a beautiful presentation, especially when adorned with a charming lattice top. For anyone hosting a holiday gathering, whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any festive occasion, these individual apple pies offer an elegant yet approachable dessert option that guests will adore.

Selecting the Perfect Apples for a Flavorful Filling

The heart of any great apple pie lies, naturally, in its apples. For these mini cardamom apple pies, I opted for a medley of apples harvested from my own garden – a lovely mix of tart eating apples and more robust cooking varieties. While I don’t know the exact names of these heirloom beauties, the blend of sweet and tart, firm and soft, created a wonderfully balanced filling.

When selecting apples for your mini pies, the key is to choose varieties that offer a good balance of flavor and texture, and that hold their shape well during baking. You can certainly use all eating apples for a sweeter, softer filling, or a combination of both eating and cooking apples to achieve a more complex flavor and varied texture. Look for varieties that are crisp and slightly tart, as this tartness beautifully contrasts with the sweetness of the sugar and the warmth of the spices.

Excellent choices for a classic apple pie filling include Braeburns or Cox’s Orange Pippins for their vibrant flavor and firm texture. If you prefer a more intensely tart filling with a softer bite, consider incorporating a Bramley apple. A mix of two or three varieties often yields the most interesting results, adding layers of flavor and a pleasing consistency to your mini pies. Ensure you chop your chosen apples into small, uniform dice to ensure they cook evenly and fit perfectly into the individual pie crusts.

Elevating Flavor: The Magic of Cardamom and Cinnamon

While cinnamon is the undisputed classic spice for apple pie, I decided to introduce a captivating twist by adding ground cardamom to my mini apple pies. This addition elevates them far beyond a standard apple pie, infusing them with an exotic, subtly citrusy, and floral aroma that is truly enchanting. Cardamom brings a sophisticated warmth that complements the sweet apples and earthy cinnamon beautifully, creating a more complex and memorable flavor profile.

I tend to be quite generous with my cardamom, as I adore its distinctive flavor. However, you can easily adjust the amount to suit your personal preference. Start with a smaller quantity, perhaps a quarter teaspoon, if you prefer just a hint of its unique essence, and add more if you desire a bolder presence. Together, cardamom and cinnamon create an intoxicating aroma that will fill your home as these mini pies bake, making them even more irresistible.

For those who love to experiment, a tiny pinch of nutmeg or a whisper of ground ginger could also enhance the spice blend, adding another layer of warmth without overpowering the star flavors of apple and cardamom. The key is to taste the apple filling mixture before baking and adjust the spices and sugar to your liking, ensuring a perfectly balanced flavor in every bite.

Baking Perfection: Tips for Using a Muffin Tin

Baking these mini apple pies in a standard muffin tin is a brilliant way to achieve uniform, individual portions. Each pie emerges as a charming, self-contained dessert, perfectly shaped and ready to be enjoyed. However, I’ve learned a few tricks to make the removal process much smoother, as the delicate pastry can be a bit tricky when warm.

Firstly, the most crucial tip for easy removal is to exercise patience. The pastry for these mini pies is quite delicate when hot, making it prone to breaking if you try to take them out of the tin too soon. It is absolutely essential to wait until they are completely cold before attempting to remove them. As they cool, the pastry firms up, making them much sturdier and less likely to crumble.

For added insurance and truly effortless removal, I highly recommend lining each cavity of your muffin tin with overhanging strips of greaseproof paper (parchment paper). Simply cut two strips that criss-cross in each cavity, allowing enough overhang on the sides to act as “handles.” This way, once the pies are cool, you can gently lift them out of the tin without any difficulty or damage to the beautiful crust. Alternatively, using disposable foil muffin cups or individual tart tins would also circumvent any removal issues and save you the wait.

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Mini Cardamom Apple Pies

makes 10-12

Author Domestic Gothess

Ingredients

Filling:

• 1 kg (2.2lb) tart eating apples
• juice 1 small lemon
• 60 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
• 60 g (⅓ cup) light brown soft sugar
• ¼ – ½ tsp ground cardamom to taste
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp plain flour

Pastry:

• 250 g (2 cups + 1tbsp) plain flour
• 50 g (½ cup) icing (powdered) sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 150 g (½ cup + 2tbsp) cold unsalted butter cubed
• 2 egg yolks (reserve one of the whites)
• 2 tbsp ice water
• the reserved egg white for glazing

Instructions

• Peel and core the apples and chop into small dice. Place in a saucepan with the lemon juice, sugars, cardamom (start with ¼ tsp and add more later if needed) and cinnamon. Bring up to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, adding a splash of water if needed, until the apples are tender. Taste, and add more cardamom and sugar as needed. Set aside until completely cold then sift over the flour and stir through.
• Place the flour, icing sugar, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks and ice water and pulse again until it comes together into a ball. Shape the pastry into a disc, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for about an hour.
• Line a muffin tray with strips of greaseproof paper so that they overhang either side of each cavity so that you can lift the pies out easily (or use disposable foil tins). Roll the pastry out thinly on a lightly floured surface. Use a 10-12cm (depending on the size of your muffin tin) round pastry cutter to cut out 10-12 rounds (I didn’t have a large enough cutter so cut round a bowl with a knife). Press the rounds into the muffin tin, the edge should come up to just above the top of the tin. Fill each one right to the top with the cooled apple mixture then re-roll the pastry scraps and cut into thin strips.
• Lay the strips in a criss-cross pattern across the tops of the pies, brush the ends with a little of the reserved egg white and gently press them into the pastry base to seal. Place the tray in the freezer for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
• Brush the tops of the pies with egg white, being careful not to get any between the pastry and the tin or the pies will be difficult to remove. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through; if the tops start to darken too much, loosely cover with tin foil.
• Leave the pies to cool completely in the tin, the pastry is delicate when warm and they will be difficult to remove. Once cold, carefully prise the pies out of the tin and serve. Store in an airtight container.

Crafting the Perfect Pastry for Your Hand Pies

A truly exceptional apple pie, whether mini or full-sized, begins with a perfect pastry. For these mini cardamom apple pies, we’re aiming for a flaky, tender crust that holds its shape and complements the flavorful filling without being too heavy. The secret to a successful pastry lies in keeping your ingredients cold – especially the butter and water.

Using a food processor is a fantastic way to quickly and efficiently bring your pastry together. The rapid pulsing action ensures the butter remains cold, creating those tiny pockets that expand into delicious flakiness during baking. Begin by combining the plain flour, icing (powdered) sugar, and a pinch of salt. The icing sugar not only adds a subtle sweetness to the crust but also contributes to its tender texture. Then, add the cold, cubed unsalted butter. It’s crucial that the butter is very cold; this prevents it from melting too quickly into the flour and ensures a tender, rather than tough, pastry.

Pulse the mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. At this stage, the butter should be evenly distributed in small pieces throughout the flour. Next, incorporate the egg yolks and ice water. The egg yolks add richness and a lovely golden hue to the pastry, while the ice water brings it together without developing too much gluten, which can lead to a tough crust. Pulse just until the mixture forms a ball, being careful not to overmix. Overworking the dough is the enemy of flaky pastry!

Once the dough comes together, gently shape it into a disc, wrap it tightly in clingfilm, and refrigerate it for at least an hour. This chilling period is vital; it allows the gluten to relax, making the pastry easier to roll out and preventing shrinkage during baking. It also firms up the butter, which contributes to the ultimate flakiness.

Assembling Your Mini Cardamom Apple Pies

With your chilled pastry ready and your perfectly spiced apple filling cooled, it’s time for the enjoyable part: assembly! First, prepare your muffin tin as suggested earlier, using greaseproof paper strips or disposable foil tins for easy removal. This small step saves a lot of potential frustration later.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out your pastry thinly. The thickness of your pastry is important; too thick and it can become heavy, too thin and it might tear. Aim for a consistent thickness that’s easy to handle. Use a round pastry cutter, typically 10-12cm in diameter, depending on the exact size of your muffin cavities, to cut out 10-12 pastry rounds. If you don’t have a large enough cutter, a round bowl or even a large mug can serve as a template – just carefully cut around it with a sharp knife.

Gently press each pastry round into the muffin tin cavity, ensuring the edges come up slightly above the top of the tin. This allows for a good seal with the lattice top and prevents the filling from bubbling over. Now, spoon in your cooled apple filling, mounding each one generously right to the top. It might look like a lot, but the apples will soften and settle during baking.

Next comes the visually appealing lattice top. Re-roll your pastry scraps and cut them into thin, even strips. Weave these strips in a criss-cross pattern over the apple filling. This isn’t just for aesthetics; it also allows steam to escape while baking. Once your lattice is complete, brush the ends of the pastry strips with a little of the reserved egg white and gently press them into the base pastry to seal, creating a neat finish. For the flakiest results and to help the pies hold their shape, place the assembled tray in the freezer for about 15 minutes while your oven preheats to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.

Baking and Serving Suggestions

Once your oven is preheated and your pies have had their brief chill, it’s time to bake! Before placing them in the oven, brush the tops of the pies with the remaining egg white. This will give them a beautiful golden-brown sheen and a slightly crisp finish. Be careful not to let the egg wash drip between the pastry and the tin, as this can essentially “glue” the pies to the tin, making them harder to remove.

Bake the mini cardamom apple pies for approximately 30 minutes, or until the pastry is deeply golden brown and the filling is bubbly and cooked through. If you notice the tops browning too quickly, you can loosely cover the muffin tin with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent them from burning while the rest of the pie finishes baking.

The most important step after baking is patience. As reiterated, leave the pies to cool completely in the tin. This is non-negotiable for delicate pastry! Once they are thoroughly cold and firm, carefully prise them out using the greaseproof paper strips or a small offset spatula. Serve these delightful mini apple pies at room temperature, or gently rewarm them for a comforting treat. They are absolutely divine on their own, but can also be served with a dollop of fresh whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce for an extra touch of indulgence.

These mini cardamom apple pies store well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days, making them perfect for preparing ahead of time for your holiday gatherings or simply for enjoying throughout the week. Their enchanting aroma and exquisite flavor are sure to bring joy and warmth to any occasion.

I am delighted to share these festive treats with Fiesta Friday, hosted by La Petite Paniere and The Not So Creative Cook, as well as Foodie FriDIY, and Foodie Friends Friday. Happy baking!