MINI APPLE PIES WITH BRIE — Caroline Fitzsousa

Being from Connecticut, one of my favorite autumn activities growing up was baking apple pie. And not just the baking part, but the whole process. Going to Roger's Orchards, picking our own apples from the tree, then stopping at the Orchard store to pick up fresh apple cider donuts and eating one in the car ride home, inevitably getting sugar EVERYWHERE.

I always make at least one pie every fall here in New Orleans to keep the New Englander in me alive. This year, however, I decided to do something a little different. First, make individual pies to share with friends, and second, add pieces of Brie to the filling in place of butter. A quick google search revealed I was not the first person to think of doing this, and now that I have I predict it will be a new staple for the holidays. These are great to bring to your Thanksgiving gathering or holiday party, as they require no messy pie slicing and more importantly are extremely cute.

I was looking into par-cooking my apples to make sure they would be cooked enough with the shorter baking time, and i learned that an easy way to soften the apples without overcooking is the hot water pour-over method. This article from Serious Eats dives into the science behind perfect pie-filling if you're interested! You'll need a muffin or cupcake tin for this recipe.

MINI APPLE PIES WITH BRIE

2 packages pie crust (more power to you if you want to make your own!)
5 apples peeled and cut into small chunks
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Grating of nutmeg
6 tbsp flour
Pinch of salt
1 wedge Brie cheese, about 4 oz, kept cold until ready to cut

Preheat oven to 425.

Peel and cut up your apples, place in bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Then drain apples in colander. Shake to get rid of excess water.

Once the water has drained from your apples, place back into bowl and add your sugar, spices and flour.

Mix together well and let sit while your cut your dough.

Lay out your pie crust on a lightly floured surface and use a large glass or medium sized bowl to cut out rounds of the dough. You'll need to measure this in accordance with the size of your muffin tin--the rounds must be big enough to fold into each slot.