Kid-size apple pies

Fall is here and the apples are abundant in Washington State. We are lucky enough to have huge bins filled with several different varieties at every local farm stand around. My first thought for using these is the all-American classic, apple pie! For a kid-size take on the classic apple pie, we’re baking them up in our canning jar rings. After all, is there anything better than having the WHOLE pie all to yourself?

Assembling and baking

My favorite way to dice apples for an apple pie is using my Apple Corer Peeler Slicer. This tool is used in my house anytime my kids are looking for a fun way to eat an apple. With just the turn of a handle, it peels the skin of the apple into a fun spiral (my kids’ favorite part to eat). At the same time, it slices the apple and takes the core out. It literally takes about 10 seconds to go through the whole process. Then, you just need to chop the apple spiral.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Chop the apples.
3. Add cinnamon, lemon juice, 1 Tbsp flour, and sugar. Mix together.

Prepare the pie crust

1. Measure shortening, 2 cups flour, and salt into a bowl.
   
2. Use a pastry blender to cut the shortening into the flour mixture.
3. Add ice water and stir together until it forms a ball.
4. Break the ball into 8 pieces.
5. Place each little ball between two pieces of plastic wrap. Roll the 8 balls flat, into rounds.
6. Set 4 canning jar rings, top down, on a cookie sheet. Place one pie crust round in each canning jar ring. 
7. Fill each mini pie with equal amounts of apple pie filling. Top each pie with another pie crust round. 
8. Fold the extra pie crust under and crimp around the edges. 
9. Poke holes in the top to vent the pies.
10. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

My favorite books about apple pie

• Amelia Bedelia’s First Apple Pie by Herman Parish
• The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall
• How To Make An Apple Pie and See The World by Marjorie Priceman
• Apples by Gail Gibbons

I always suggest connecting literature to fun experiences like this. By sharing these books with your child before and after baking mini apple pies, they are able to make deeper connections and have a better understanding of the books. Experiences like baking are not only fun and yummy, but they also build background knowledge for our young readers!