Apple pie is absolutely my favorite fall dessert.  I crave apple pie all day, every day during this time of year.  And the smell of warm apple pie…mmmm, there is nothing better. However, unfortunately a physical apple pie is not the easiest thing to tote around, so it’s potential eating times are limited.  Well, thanks to these mini canning jars you can tote your apple pie around all day, and reheat in an instant when you’re craving something sweet. Canning jars are safe to bake, microwave, and freeze – so you can basically have pie in an instant, all season long!  I Included my pie filling recipe below, but feel free to use your own – the steps are still the same regardless of the filling recipe. Enjoy!

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• 4 oz Canning Jars
• Rolling Pin

INGREDIENTS NEEDED – PIE CRUST (FOR 4 X 4 OZ CANNING JARS):

• 3/4 Cup Flour
  
• 1/2 tsp Sugar
• Pinch Salt
• 4 Tb Cold Butter (cubed)
• 2 Tb Ice Water

INGREDIENTS NEEDED – PIE FILLING:

• 3 Granny Smith Apples (peeled and cubed)
  
• 1 tsp Spiced Apple Cider (or lemon juice)
• 2 Tbsp Flour
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• Pinch Nutmeg, Apple Pie Spice, Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

PIE CRUST: Mix together flour, sugar, and salt. Cut cold butter into small cubes and add to dry ingredients. Work together with hands until butter is mixed in. Add in 2 Tbsp of ice water and combine. [Note: If dough is too dry, add 1 more Tbsp ice water.] Roll into a ball, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

PIE FILLING: Peel and cube apples.  Add to a bowl and drizzle with apple cider. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, spices). Once mixed, combine ingredients into one bowl; toss until apples are coated with the sugar mix. Cover with plastic wrap and place and refrigerate until you’re ready to fill your jar.

JAR PIE:

Step #1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out cold dough onto a floured surface.

Step #2: Cut out a large circle for the bottom crust and position it into your canning jar. Cut away any excess dough.

Step #3: Place the canning jar (just with the bottom crust) into the oven and bake for 5 – 7 minutes.  [Note: If you have baking beans, go ahead and add those into your jar before you bake – those will help weigh down the crust, but aren’t necessary.]  Remove from oven and add in your filling. If you plan on eating them immediately, fill to the top.  However if you want to be able to close and save the pie for late, fill to just below the rim.

Step #4: For the top crust, use the lid of your jar to cut the top to size. You can either cover completely (with a small slit) or you can make a lattice top, as I did. Once top crust is formed, add to jar. Apply pressure forming the sides to the jar.

Step #5: Once you’re ready to bake, place tinfoil atop jars to protect crust and bake on a baking sheet in the center of your oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove tin foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Step #6: Remove from oven and let cool before serving. For leftovers, cover pies and store in refrigerator (or freezer if saving for more than 2 days).  To reheat, simply take out of the refrigerator and pop in the microwave for 45 seconds – 1 minute.  Easy as pie!

Now, you probably have some extra filling and perhaps a little crust too. Cover and refrigerate any leftover ingredients, and I’ll show you what you can make with those tomorrow!