I'm not going to say these apple pie cookies are better than apple pie, because that would probably be un-American or something, but I will say that they are amazing. And if you're like me, and prefer more crust than filling, well then these might just come out on top.
This recipe from Food-Pusher starts out with a cookie made of pie crust. Hint: If you want to save time, you can even use a refrigerated pie crust. That's then topped with a mixture of apples, oatmeal, brown sugar, and buttery apples. I love them for holiday buffets since they're much easier to serve than pieces of pie, and they're pretty too. I haven't tried it yet, but I'd also like to take a stab at making some with a pumpkin pie filling on top. So many possibilities!
Dutch Apple Pie Cookies
Crust: (You can also use store-bought refrigerated pie crust):
1 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons Crisco (vegetable shortening)
3 tablespoons ice cold water
flour for dusting
Topping: (Canned apple pie filling makes it easier.
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup oatmeal (quick or old-fashioned)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups canned apple pie filling* roughly chopped (I took a knife and cut the apples while still in the can)
powdered sugar for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Prepare pie crust: In a medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut 4 T butter into flour until it looks like coarse meal, and then cut in Crisco until well blended. Add ice cold water and stir with fork. Then use your hands to gently work the dough into a ball.
Flour a square sheet of wax paper, place dough ball in the middle, flour the ball, and cover with another square sheet of wax paper. Roll dough out to a thickness of about 1/8”. Using a 2” round circle cutter, cut out as many circles as you can. Carefully place circles on a wax-paper-lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer until needed. Collect dough scraps and roll and cut more circles that you will add to the pan in the freezer.
Prepare topping: In a large bowl, mix all of the dry topping ingredients with a fork. Add butter chunks and mix with your fingers until all the butter is incorporated and it begins to form crumbles. Set aside 1/2 cup of this crumb mixture.
Stir chopped apple pie filling into remaining crumble mixture, just until mixed.
On a parchment-lined baking sheet, evenly place 12 of the frozen dough circles. Place a scant tablespoon of apple mixture onto the middle of each circle. With your finger, flatten the top of the apple mixture a little bit. Using a fork, place about 1/2 teaspoon of the reserved crumble mixture on top of each cookie.
Bake at 375°F for 14-15 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove from oven and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Shake a little powdered sugar over cookies to make them look pretty.
Image via Food-Pusher
