Easy as Pie – Mini Apple Pear Pies for Fall

Apples & pears are everywhere! What to do with them all? Make Mini Apple Pear Pies, of course! 

Last week, we were invited to a friend’s house for a dinner party. It’s the end of summer/beginning of fall, with only a few more glorious evenings to spend dining outdoors. Since all of our friends know that I love baking, I’m often asked to make a dessert, as was the case on this occasion. 

It was a bit of a last-minute spontaneous dinner, so I didn’t have the time to run out to the store for ingredients, nor hours to spend on a complicated dessert. While I know that one of this friend’s favorite desserts of mine is Barchiglia (which is amazing), I simply didn’t have the time to make it that day.

What else, what else do I have handy in the kitchen? I opened my baking cabinet to have a look and was nearly crushed to death by all the stuff that came tumbling out of there. Boxes of pudding, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, and my stash of movie candy fell out onto the counter and floor, with me jumping back in fright. Wow, I really need to organize this cabinet!

Once that was all cleaned up (I’ll organize it later 🤣)…I was able to find a few apples and pears, along with sugar, spice, and everything nice. Ooooh, and a box of puff pastry in the freezer (How old is this? Ok, doesn’t expire for a few more months, I’m good).

While my first plan was to make a traditional apple pie, I was in the mood for individual desserts tonight. Let’s see…7 people at the dinner, so I’ll make 8 and have one left over for tomorrow. Sweet!

So let’s get to the recipe, shall we? These Mini Apple Pear Pies are so scrumptious, and they’ll be ready in no time!

Of course, if you want to make these pies with just apple or just pear, fell free! But I know you’ll love the combination of sweet juicy apples and the smooth buttery texture of pears.

Ingredients (makes 8 mini apple pear pies)

• 4 apples, cored and cut into 8 pieces each
• 4 pears, cored and cut into 8 pieces each
• 17.3-oz box of frozen puff pastry (2 sheets)
• 1 egg
• 1 stick butter
• Splash of water
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• 8 tablespoon brown sugar
• 8 tablespoon granulated sugar
• Coarse white sugar

Prep

First, thaw puff pastry on the countertop for about an hour or so, until it’s pliable. Can’t exactly work with frozen pastry, now can we?

Preheat oven to 400℉.

Puff Pastry

Once the pastry is thawed enough to work with, unfold one sheet and cut into 4 even squares. I found that this was really easily accomplished with a pizza cutter. With your hands, gently stretch out each square to make it about 1-½ times the size, being careful not to rip the pastry.

Pie Filling

Put a few slices of apple and a few slices of pear in the middle of each puff pastry square. Sprinkle a little cinnamon and nutmeg over top (no measurements here, just to taste), then 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon white sugar, and 1 tablespoon butter.

Next, fold up the pastry around the fruit. Fold up two opposite sides to the middle (or almost the middle), then the other two opposite sides to seal the fruit inside the pastry. While it doesn’t look pretty now, I promise it will be tastebud tantalizingly gorgeous very soon. Does that make sense? I hope so.

Finishing Touches

In a small bowl, beat 1 egg and a splash of water. Brush egg wash over the top of each pie, then sprinkle with coarse sugar. This gives that sugary sweet crunch you thought you could only get at a professional bakery!

Baking

Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, or until pastry begins browning. Due to stretching out the pastry earlier, they won’t puff up very much. This is to be expected.

You can also make these the day before, keep them in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the oven at 250℉ for about 20 minutes.

Serve Mini Apple Pear Pies warm, with homemade whipped cream or ice cream. Yum!

Looking for more great recipes?

• Baked Cranberry Brie Bites with Sage
• No-Knead Bread
• Thanksgiving Stuffing with Fruit
• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
• Chnöpfli – The Swiss Mac and Cheese
• World’s Best Apple Pie
• Pumpkin Cheesecake

Did you make this Apple Pear Pie recipe? Let us know in the comments below!

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