Roasted Mini Apple "Pies"

Talk about cuteness overload.

I'm in love with these mini apple "pies."

This is one of the easiest, simplest, and quickest desserts I've ever made. I recently watched several hours of the Food Network. I was a complete couch potato (pregnancy allows for that though, right?) and jotted down a ton of new things I want to try before baby decides to make her arrival. In possibly 6 more weeks, yikes! These mini apple pies are one of the many I wrote down. I also happened to have everything in the fridge at that very moment, therefore, this is the first thing that I'm sharing with you. Another perk for this recipe- you might not need to make a special trip to the store!

I'm sure you could jazz it up and make some sort of caramel sauce to go with it. Which would be divine, mmmm. If you do that, tell me how it goes! But the simplicity of this can't be beat. Roll out your store-bought pie crust, slice some apples and toss them in cinnamon and sugar. Make your own whipped cream or dollop some out of a tub of Cool Whip. Dessert is ready under 15 minutes. 

Source: Foodnetwork

1 (9-inch) refrigerated rolled pie crust
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
cookie cutter or glass

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper sprayed with vegetable cooking spray.

Unroll the pie crust out on a work surface. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 8 disks of pastry. Arrange the pastry disks on the prepared baking sheet. Using the tines of a fork, prick the pastry all over. Bake until brown and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely, about 10 minutes.

Slice the bottom of the apples to create an even surface for cutting. Slice each apple into 6 (1/2-inch) slices.
Cut each apple slice in half and remove any seeds or pieces of core. In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Add the apple slices and toss until coated. Shake off any excess mixture. Arrange the apple slices on the same baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until dark brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream until thick, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and continue to beat until the cream is very thick.

To assemble the pies: Place the pastry disks on a work surface. Divide the cooked apple slices among 4 of the disks. Dollop about 2 tablespoons of the cream on top of the apples and cover with the remaining disks. Serve immediately.