Apple Circles Recipes

THE BEST APPLE CRISP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• For the filling: Whisk together the brown sugar, flour, apple cider, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Peel and core the apples and cut into chunks. Add the apples to the brown sugar mixture and toss to combine.
• Transfer the apple mixture to the prepared baking dish in an even layer.
• For the topping: Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter cubes and use your fingers to completely work the butter into the flour mixture. The mixture should hold its shape when squeezed.
• Sprinkle the crumble topping over the filling, squeezing some of the mixture into small clumps. Bake until the filling is bubbly, the apples are tender and the topping is golden brown, about 1 hour.
• Let sit for at least 45 minutes and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

HAND-HELD APPLE PIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture until well blended. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour., Combine the sugar, cinnamon and allspice; set aside. Divide each portion of dough into 12 balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a 4-in. circle. Place a tablespoonful of chopped apples on one side. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon sugar mixture; dot with 1/4 teaspoon butter., In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and water. Brush edges of pastry with egg wash; fold pastry over filling and seal edges well with a fork. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Brush remaining egg wash over tops. Cut slits in pastry. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and cinnamon-sugar., Bake at 425° for 11-14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

APPLE CRISP - PERFECT AND EASY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
• Arrange apple slices evenly in prepared baking dish. Sift flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal; sprinkle over apples.
• Bake in preheated oven until topping is golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

APPLE PIE, CIRCUS-STYLE

Steps:

• Make the dough: Put the bread flour, whole-wheat flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and whir to combine. Drop in the chunks of butter, then process in 8 to 10 long pulses, scraping the bowl often, until the ingredients look like coarse crumbs and hold together when pressed.
• Stir together the ice water and vinegar in a measuring cup, then pour the liquid over the dough as you pulse the machine, forming a moist dough. Scrape the dough onto a work surface, shape into a log and divide into thirds. Press each piece into a disk, wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, working between sheets of parchment, roll each piece of dough into an 8-inch circle that's a scant 1/4-inch thick. Cut each piece into a 7-inch circle, cover with the parchment and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. (Leftover dough can be used to make a smaller pie or to make cookies.)
• Make the filling: Stir the sugar, flour and zest together in a large bowl, then stir in the butter and lemon juice. Quarter and core the apples, leaving the peel on, and slice them very thinly; a food processor or mandoline works best here. (You want about 5 loosely packed cups.) Add apples to the large bowl, and use your hands to toss until they're coated with the sugar mixture.
• Assemble the pies: Working with 1 circle of dough at a time, peel away the top sheet of paper, and lightly score a 4-inch circle in the center of the dough. Pile apples inside the circle, pressing to make a compact mound about 1 1/2 inches high and leaving a bare border of about 1 1/2 inches.
• The final pie should have five sides, and all the corners should point in the same direction. For this effect, lift a piece of the dough up, and hold it against the apples. Lift a piece of dough next to it, press it against the apples and grab the triangle of dough that forms where the two layers meet. Holding the point of the triangle, pull it down so that the tip of the triangle is at the base of the pie. With your index finger, firmly press the point of the triangle into the base to seal it in place. Continue until you've got a pentagonal pie.
• Repeat with the remaining circles of dough and apples. (You may have some apples leftover.) Refrigerate the pies while you heat the oven. (You can cover and refrigerate the pies for up to 1 day.)
• Center a rack in the oven, and heat it to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and transfer the pies to the sheet.
• Stir a splash of water into the egg, and brush a little on the sides of the pies, avoiding the top rim of the pie dough. Sprinkle the sides with Demerara sugar.
• Bake the pies until the crust is beautifully golden and a knife inserted into the apples meets little resistance, about 45 minutes. Transfer the sheet to a rack, and allow the pies to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.