Bring Mini Apple Pies to your Fourth of July Picnic

Apple pie is a classic American dessert. With it’s rich buttery crust and sweet apple filling it’s easy to see why it’s a favorite. It’s especially popular at Fourth of July picnics and is often served with vanilla ice cream. It can be a real calorie bomb. Below is a recipe for mini apple pies that have the classic flavors of apple pie but only a fraction of the calories. And you don’t have to be a pastry chef to make them. Apples and cinnamon give it sweetness. Wonton wrappers provide the crust. The best part? They’re mini. You don’t have to stop at just one!

Serving Size: 1 mini apple pie Number of servings: 12 Calories per serving: 26 Ingredients Calories 6 wonton wrappers 106 2 medium apples (approx. 300 grams) 160 1 tsp ground cinnamon 6 1¼ cup water 0 1 Tbsp cornstarch 30 Non-stick cooking spray 0 ½ tsp powdered sugar 5

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Peel and cut the apples into ½ inch cubes. Place the apple cubes in a non-stick pot with ¼ cup of water. Cook the apples on medium heat until the water has completely evaporated (approximately 10 minutes). Add the cinnamon to the apples. Stir the apples until the cinnamon coats the apples completely.

Dissolve the cornstarch into 1 cup of cold water. Add the cornstarch liquid to the apples. Cook the apples until the cornstarch liquid comes to a boil and has thickened.

Remove the pot from the stove and let the apples cool completely.

Separate each of the wonton wrappers into two sheets so you end up with 12 squares. Lay the wonton wrappers on a cutting board. Place 1 tablespoon of the cooled apple mixture on one corner of the wonton wrappers. Wet the edges of the wonton wrapper and fold over to create a mini apple pie in the shape of a triangle.

Place the mini apple pies on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or non-stick foil and spray them lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Bake the mini apple pies in the oven until golden brown (approximately 15-20 minutes). Remove the mini apple pies from oven. Let the pies cool slightly. Place the mini apple pies on a plate. Sprinkle the pies with powdered sugar. Serve.

Barbara's Tips

	Wonton wrappers are 2-ply sheets of thin dough. They are easily separated into two sheets. This makes them extra thin and crispy when baked.
	Use cold water to dissolve the cornstarch. Cornstarch dissolves best in cold liquids. The best way to do this is to place the cornstarch and liquid in a jar with a lid. Secure the lid and shake well until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. This method will also ensure that there are no lumps in your cornstarch liquid.
	The cornstarch liquid needs to come to a boil in order to thicken. When the cornstarch liquid cools it will thicken further and create a thick syrup.
	If you use a sweet apple like Gala or Fuji for the apple pie filling, you don’t need to add any additional sugar. If you use a slightly tarter apple or you like your desserts extra sweet, you can add a little no-calorie sweetener to the apple pie filling.
	If you don’t have any parchment paper or non-stick foil, spray your sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray to ensure the pies don’t stick during the baking process.
	You may need to rotate the mini pies in the oven to make sure they brown evenly.
	The best way to sprinkle the pies with powdered sugar is to put the powdered sugar in a sieve and sift the powdered sugar through the sieve over the pies.

Essential Flavors

	Apples: are a crisp, fleshy fruit that come in many different varieties and colors. They can be eaten cooked or raw and are often featured in many desserts. They pair especially well with cinnamon.
	Cinnamon: is a spice that comes from the bark of a tree. It is generally medium to light reddish brown in color. In it’s whole form, cinnamon has a hard and woody texture but it’s most often used in it’s ground form. Cinnamon adds a sweetness and warmth to many dishes and is especially popular in desserts. It’s what gives apple pie it’s classic flavor.