Apple Hand Pies

Happy 2013! Well, today is the 2nd so technically I'm a day late. Hope you all had a fantastically wonderful New Years Eve and Day!

As I mentioned in my last post, one of my goals for this year is to be mindful of what we eat and try to eat more healthy foods. Getting more fruits and veggies is at the top of my list, plus trying out different grains and eating less processed stuff. Sounds like a good idea, right? 

Enter my new issue of Cooking Light. While reading the issue from cover to cover a few days ago, I literally bookmarked half of the recipes in it. I LOVE this magazine! Seriously they always have so many yummy things to try out. 

On New Years Day we had a soup party with my parents. Never had a soup party? You are missing out! My mom made a big pot of bean and ham soup and I made my famous chicken tortilla soup. (Recipe to come later!) We also threw in some cornbread and I decided to make dessert. Now comes these wonderful little apple hand pies. Easy to make and super, super delicious. 

Try them out, I promise you'll love them!


Apple Hand Pies
Recipe Slightly Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine - Jan 2013 Issue

Ingredients:

2 cups finely chopped apples (I used 2 large Gala apples)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 package refrigerated pie crust (I used Pillsbury)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 12 cubes

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine apple, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

Roll the pie crusts on a lightly floured surface into 2 (12-inch) circles. Using a 3-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out 12 rounds from each portion. You should end up with 24 circles. Discard any remaining dough scraps. 

Place 12 of the dough rounds on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush half of the beaten egg over dough rounds. Spoon about 1 tablespoon apple mixture onto each round, leaving a half inch border around the edges of the dough. Top each round with 1 piece of butter. Top pies with remaining 12 rounds of dough and press the edges together with a fork to seal. Brush remaining beaten egg over each pie. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Bon Appetit!