Apples & pears are everywhere! What to do with them all? Make mini apple pear pies, of course!
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Last week, we were invited to a friendβs house for a dinner party. Itβs the end of summer/beginning of fall, with only a few more glorious evenings to spend dining outdoors. Since all of our friends know that I love baking, Iβm often asked to make a dessert, as was the case on this occasion.
It was a bit of a last-minute spontaneous dinner, so I didnβt have the time to run out to the store for ingredients, nor hours to spend on a complicated dessert. While I know that one of this friendβs favorite desserts of mine is barchiglia (which is amazing), I simply didnβt have the time to make it that day.
What else, what else do I have handy in the kitchen? I opened my baking cabinet to have a look and was nearly crushed to death by all the stuff that came tumbling out of there. Boxes of pudding, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, and my stash of movie candy fell out onto the counter and floor, with me jumping back in fright. Wow, I really need to organize this cabinet!
Once that was all cleaned up (Iβll organize it later π€£)...I was able to find a few apples and pears, along with sugar, spice, and everything nice. Ooooh, and a box of puff pastry in the freezer (How old is this? Ok, doesnβt expire for a few more months, Iβm good).
While my first plan was to make a traditional apple pie, I was in the mood for individual desserts tonight. Letβs see...7 people at the dinner, so Iβll make 8 and have one left over for tomorrow. Sweet!
So letβs get to the recipe, shall we? These mini apple pear pies are so scrumptious, and theyβll be ready in no time!
Of course, if you want to make these pies with just apple or just pear, fell free! But I know you'll love the combination of sweet juicy apples and the smooth buttery texture of pears.
π§Ύ Ingredients
- Apples
- Pears
- Box of frozen puff pastry (2 sheets)
- Egg
- Salted butter
- Water
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Coarse white sugar
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
π₯ Preparation
First, thaw puff pastry on the countertop for about an hour or so, until itβs pliable. Canβt exactly work with frozen pastry, now can we?
Preheat oven to 400β.
πͺ Slice the puff pastry
Once the pastry is thawed enough to work with, unfold one sheet and cut into 4 even squares. I found that this was really easily accomplished with a pizza cutter. With your hands, gently stretch out each square to make it about 1-Β½ times the size, being careful not to rip the pastry.
π₯£ Make the pie filling
Put a few slices of apple and a few slices of pear in the middle of each puff pastry square.
Sprinkle a little cinnamon and nutmeg over top (no measurements here, just to taste), then 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon salted butter.
π Folding the pastry
Next, fold up the pastry around the fruit. Fold up two opposite sides to the middle (or almost the middle), then the other two opposite sides to seal the fruit inside the pastry. While it doesnβt look pretty now, I promise it will be tastebud tantalizingly gorgeous very soon. Does that make sense? I hope so.
β Finishing touches
In a small bowl, beat 1 egg and a splash of water. Brush egg wash over the top of each pie, then sprinkle with coarse sugar. This gives that sugary sweet crunch you thought you could only get at a professional bakery!
β²οΈ Baking
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, or until pastry begins browning. Due to stretching out the pastry earlier, they wonβt puff up very much. This is to be expected.
You can also make these the day before, keep them in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the oven at 250β for about 20 minutes.
Serve Mini Apple Pear Pies warm, with homemade whipped cream or ice cream. Yum!
Looking for more great recipes?
- Baked Cranberry Brie Bites with Sage
- No-Knead Bread
- Thanksgiving Stuffing with Fruit
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- ChnΓΆpfli β The Swiss Mac and Cheese
- Worldβs Best Apple Pie
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
Did you make this Apple Pear Pie recipe? Let us know in the comments below!
π Recipe
Easy as Pie - Mini Apple Pear Pies for Fall
Ingredients
- 8 apples, cored and cut into 8 pieces each
- 8 pears, cored and cut into 8 pieces each
- 17.3 ounce box of frozen puff pastry (2 sheets)
- 1 egg
- 1 stick butter
- 8 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 8 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Splash of water
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Coarse white sugar
Instructions
- Thaw puff pastry on the countertop for about an hour or so, until itβs pliable.
- Preheat oven to 400β.
- Once the pastry is thawed enough to work with, unfold one sheet and cut into 4 even squares. I found that this was really easily accomplished with a pizza cutter. With your hands, gently stretch out each square to make it about 1-Β½ times the size, being careful not to rip the pastry.
- Put a few slices of apple and a few slices of pear in the middle of each puff pastry square.
- Sprinkle a little cinnamon and nutmeg over top (no measurements here, just to taste), then 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon salted butter.
- Next, fold up the pastry around the fruit. Fold up two opposite sides to the middle (or almost the middle), then the other two opposite sides to seal the fruit inside the pastry.
- In a small bowl, beat 1 egg and a splash of water. Brush egg wash over the top of each pie, then sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, or until pastry begins browning. Due to stretching out the pastry earlier, they wonβt puff up very much. This is to be expected.
- Serve mini apple pear pies warm, with homemade whipped cream or ice cream. Yum!
- You can also make these the day before, keep them in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the oven at 250β for about 20 minutes.
Notes
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Alicia
These were absolutely perfect for a little get-together I had with friends last night. And the combination of apple and pear, wow.
maplewoodroad
Perfect, I'm so happy that you all enjoyed them! Thanks! π