apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

You don't need to make a filling or roll out a crust. All you need to do is pat out a few small circles of dough, or roll it out and cut with biscuit cutters. Use a mandoline to cut apples (no need to peel!) very thin. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, bake, and ta-da! Tiny cinnamon apple pies.

The apples nearly dissolve; they are like apple jelly or gooey filling. The little pies are simple and warm; they are so easy and delicious.

Here are the specific instructions:

Nearly-Instant Apple Cinnamon Mini-Tarts
yield varies

Small lump of pie dough, well-chilled
1/4 small, sweet apple
1/2 tablespoon butter
Brown sugar
Freshly ground cinnamon

Heat the oven to 425°F. Roll out the pie dough and cut into small rounds or other shapes with biscuit or cookie cutters. Core the apple quarter and shave into very thin slices with a mandoline or chef's knife. Top each pie dough round with several slices of apple, overlapping slightly. Shave a tiny thumbnail of butter off and top each pie round with a bit of butter, a sprinkle of brown sugar and a dusting of cinnamon.

Bake at 425°F for about 15 minutes, or until apples are slightly reduced and pastry is firm and golden.

Related: How To Make a Pie Crust from Scratch

(Images: Faith Durand)