Mini Apple Pies — Because Sunday Dinner Deserves a Proper Ending

Brianna's week. Early August. The kids start school in three weeks — Aiden into third grade, Zaria into second. I bought their school supplies in installments because the back-to-school list at Detroit Public is, frankly, absurd. I split the cost with Brianna. She paid for clothes. I paid for supplies. The math of co-parenting in 2024.

Tuesday I had a small catering job. Wednesday I made dinner for myself and made the worst risotto of my life. The rice came out gluey. Even the best cooks have failures. Mama would say especially the best cooks.

Saturday I helped Mama do a deep clean of her kitchen. I scrubbed the stove, cleaned the oven, mopped the floor, organized the pantry. Mama protested but let me do it. She sat at the kitchen table drinking iced tea and supervising. Pop watched the Tigers. The Tigers were losing.

Sunday she made Sunday dinner anyway, as if her kitchen hadn't just been deep-cleaned. Smothered pork chops. Mac and cheese. Greens. Cornbread. The rotation. The rhythm. The pulse of a family.

Mama made her smothered pork chops and I didn’t bring anything — I’d spent the whole day on my knees scrubbing her oven, and I figured that was my contribution. But driving home Sunday night, I kept thinking about what would’ve made that table complete. Something small. Something that says the meal isn’t over yet, sit back down. These mini apple pies are exactly that — individual, unfussy, the kind of thing you set in the middle of the table and let people grab without ceremony, the way food should work in a house like Mama’s.

Mini Apple Pies

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 2 refrigerated pie crusts (or homemade, rolled to 1/8-inch thickness)
• 3 medium apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and finely diced
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 1 tablespoon coarse sugar (for topping)
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin.
2. Make the filling. In a medium bowl, combine diced apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, flour, and a pinch of salt. Toss until apples are evenly coated. Set aside.
3. Cut the crust rounds. Unroll pie crusts on a lightly floured surface. Using a 4-inch round cutter (or the rim of a glass), cut 12 circles for the bases and 12 smaller circles or strips for the tops. Press the larger rounds gently into each muffin cup, letting the edges come up the sides.
4. Fill. Spoon the apple mixture evenly into each crust cup, filling nearly to the top. Dot each with a small piece of butter.
5. Top and seal. Place a smaller crust round or cut strips over each filled cup. Pinch edges to seal, or press lightly with a fork. Cut two small slits in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape.
6. Egg wash and sugar. Brush the tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
7. Bake. Bake 22–25 minutes, until the crusts are golden brown and the filling is bubbling at the slits. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing.
8. Serve. Serve warm as-is, or with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of caramel. Set them in the middle of the table and step back.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 210 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 29g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 160mg