Mini Apple Pie Factory

Can we just agree that anything miniature is just that much more fabulous? Mini sliders, mini cupcakes, mini pizzas, mini tacos, miniature poodles; Beau :) So obviously after making a go at mini cheesecakes, I had to try mini apple pies! I'll be the first to admit that baking is a bit of a challenge for me. You know, with all that measurement jazzz. (I'm sure by now you've noticed that most of my recipes read "adjust as needed" for the spices.) So, one day I called over some of my gurllls and we had a little baking bonanza. It's always more fun with your friends around to laugh at the trials and errors. As you can tell, the lattice was not our strong point. 


Ingredients for filling:

8 cups of apples

12 tbs flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

4 tbs chilled butter

1 pinch of salt

Dough:

2 boxes of pillsbury pie crusts

(I tried two different dough recipes, and both weren't nearly as good as the boxed. I'll keep trying!)

Directions:

Start by cutting up eight cups of apples into small 1/2in bits. Mix the apples with flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Unroll your chilled pie crust and cut circles for your mini muffin tin. I used a mason jar ring that worked great! Line each of your muffin tins with the crust. Gently fill the crusts with your apple mixture to the top. Divide your butter equally into 24 pieces, and put a dab on each pie. Cover each pie with extra dough as desired. Brush melted butter over each pie. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes. 

*I used a mini cheesecake muffin tin that made it really easy to pop the pies out.

My favorite fashion blogger this + that

Mini Peanut-Butterfinger Cheesecakes

Ingredients:
For the crust:
1 cup Vanilla Wafers, ground
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon table salt

For the cheesecake:
One 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon table salt
4 fun size Butterfinger candy bars (I used 1/2 a king size Butterfinger, about 2 oz.)

For the topping:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream
Crushed Butterfinger

Directions:
Combine 1 cup ground vanilla wafers, 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons melted butter and 1/8 teaspoon table salt. Divide mixture into bottoms of mini cheese cake pan and press until flat. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter until smooth. Beat 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, 2 Tablespoons heavy cream and 1/8 table salt until well combined. Slowly stir in crushed butterfinger. The recipe suggested 4 fun size bars, I used half of a king size bar or about 2 ounces of Butterfinger.

Evenly pour batter over baked crust. Bake for 20-22 minutes until cheesecake is set. Don't forget to turn down your oven temperature to 300 degrees. Let cheesecake cool for 2 hours, then remove from pan (I refrigerated mine overnight before removing from the pan).

After cooling, your cheesecakes will depress a bit, creating a perfect well for the chocolate sauce.

Melt one cup chocolate chips in microwave in 30 second intervals. Stir in between intervals and do not overcook the chocolate. Add heavy cream in small doses to the chocolate and stir until chocolate is smooth and glossy. If you add the cream too fast you will get lumps. Microwave some more to get the lumps out. Spoon the chocolate over the tops of the cakes. Spoon crushed Butterfinger over the top of the chocolate.

Makes twelve mini cheesecakes.

Recipe courtesy of noblepig.com

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients:

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup ground pecans
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
3/8 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, ground pecans, 2 tablespoons white sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and the melted butter or margarine and mix well. Firmly press mixture into one 9 inch springform pan.
3. Combine 3/4 cup of the white sugar, the pumpkin, 3 egg yolks, ground cinnamon, ground mace, ground ginger and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well, and set aside.
4. Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; gradually add 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar and mix well. Add the whole egg, remaining egg yolk and the whipping cream, beating well. Add cornstarch and vanilla and lemon flavorings, beat batter until smooth. Add pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 to 55 minutes. Do not overbake. Center may be soft but it will firm up when chilled. Let cheesecake cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate.