Apple Pie Hearts

Do you know what today is?  It's pi day - March 14th - 3.14.  And how do you celebrate pi day?  With apple pie of course.  That is exactly what my son's math is going to be eating this morning at their pi day celebration.  (Actually, I think it is was an excuse to get me to make pies for the class.)  I made some individual hand pies to send into school because they are easy to transport and carry and they don't require any cutting or serving utensils. 

I even made pi shaped vents in the tops of the pies to commemorate the special day. 

This was actually the second batch of mini apple pies that I had made in just under a week.  The first batch that I made were heart shaped apple pies for a wedding reception.  They were equally cute.

 








I used Acey Mac apples for the first time and ...  I loved them.  They were firm enough to not turn into applesauce when I cooked them and they were sweet enough to make a delicious pie.











I used my favorite apple pie recipe for these mini heart shaped pies. 

Deep Dish Apple Pie
½ cup sugar               
¼ cup brown sugar           
¼ teaspoon salt
1 lemon
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
10 apples
1 egg white beaten







Peel apples.









Slice apples.  I used my corer/slicer to make quick work of this job.

Put in pot along with ½ cup sugar, brown sugar, salt, zest from lemon and cinnamon.

Cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently.


















Set colander over bowl and drain juice from apples.











Cut hearts out of pie dough.  (Either homemade or store bought.)

 Use a smaller heart cookie cutter to cut another heart inside half of the big hearts.

Place apples on the uncut hearts.











Top with the cut heart and press edges together to seal.

Use a fork to crimp the edges of the heart.

 





Whisk together egg white and water.








Brush over pie hearts.
 
 
Sprinkle with sugar.

 Bake 20 minutes at 425.

And the pi day apple pies...

Happy Pi day!

Ciao!