Alright, alright, let’s talk about these apple thingy-ma-jigs, apple empa-what-cha-ma-call-its. You know, the little pie things you hold in your hand? Yeah, those. We’re gonna make ’em, and they’re gonna be good, even if I ain’t no fancy baker.
What you’ll need for these here apple hand pies:
- Store-bought pie crusts (saves a heap of trouble, I tell ya)
- A can of that apple pie filling stuff (the ready-made kind, none of that peeling and chopping apples nonsense)
- Some butter, the real stuff, not that fake margarine
- A bit of sugar, the white kind and the brown kind too
- A pinch of that cinnamon stuff, makes it smell all warm and cozy
- Maybe a little bit of that nutmeg, if you’re feeling fancy
- A little bit of salt, just a pinch mind you
- A big ol’ pan to cook the apples in
- A fork, to crimp the edges pretty
- A baking sheet, to put them little pies on
- An oven, to bake ’em in (you knew that already, didn’t ya?)
First off, we gotta make that apple filling a little bit better. You know, that canned stuff is alright, but we can make it taste real homey. Get yourself a big pan, put it on the stove, and melt some butter in it. Not too much, just a few spoonfuls. Now, dump that can of apple pie filling right in there.
See, I heard tell some folks used to make this stuff from scratch, cooking apples and such. But who has time for that? This canned stuff is just fine, and we’re gonna doctor it up a bit, make it taste extra special. Now, toss in a bit of that white sugar and a bit of that brown sugar too. The brown sugar gives it a nice caramelly taste, you know? And then, a good shake of cinnamon. I love cinnamon, makes everything smell so good. A tiny pinch of nutmeg if you have it, and a little bit of salt to balance things out.
Stir it all up good, and let it simmer on the stove for a bit. Low heat mind you, we don’t want to burn it. This lets all the flavors get friendly with each other, makes it taste richer, like it’s been cooking all day. I reckon this is the secret, you know? Taking somethin’ simple and makin’ it better. That’s what good cookin’ is all about, I always say.
While that’s simmerin’, get them pie crusts out. Now, I ain’t got time to be makin’ no pie crust from scratch. Store-bought is just fine for these here apple empanadas. Unroll them crusts on the counter. And if you want to be real fancy, you can chill the butter a bit before cutting it into small pieces and mixing with a little bit of shortening, then spread some of that mixture on the pie crust before adding the apples, make them extra flaky. But honestly, most days, I just skip that part.
Time to put these little apple pies together! Take a spoon and scoop some of that cooked-up apple filling onto one side of the pie crust. Don’t go crazy and put too much, or it’ll squish out when you fold ’em over. Just a good spoonful or two. Then, fold the other half of the crust over the filling, like you’re making a little pocket. Use a fork to press down on the edges, seal ’em up tight. You don’t want all that yummy apple stuff leaking out, do ya?
Now, I like to make ’em look a little pretty, so I crimp the edges with the fork. You know, make little lines all around. It ain’t necessary, but it makes ’em look nice. And if you’re feeling real ambitious, you can cut little shapes out of the leftover dough and stick ’em on top. Stars, hearts, whatever you fancy. But honestly, most days I just fold ’em and crimp ’em, and that’s good enough.
Put them little apple pies on a baking sheet. Don’t overcrowd ’em, give ’em some space. And before you put ’em in the oven, you can brush the tops with a little bit of melted butter and sprinkle some sugar on top. Makes ’em nice and golden brown and gives them a little extra sweetness.
Now, stick ’em in the oven. I set my oven to about 375 degrees, but every oven is different, so you might have to adjust yours a bit. Bake ’em for about 15-20 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and bubbly. Keep an eye on them, you don’t want ’em to burn. And that’s it! Easy peasy apple empanadas, or whatever you call ’em.
Let ’em cool for a bit before you eat ’em, ’cause that apple filling gets mighty hot. But warm or cold, they’re mighty tasty. Perfect for a snack, or dessert, or even breakfast if you’re feeling wild. And the best part? They taste like you spent all day in the kitchen, even though you didn’t. So go on, make yourself a batch of these apple hand pies. You won’t regret it.
These apple empanadas with apple pie filling, they’re real simple, but real good. Just like the best things in life, I reckon. Not too fancy, just plain good eatin’. And that’s all there is to it. Now, go on and get bakin’! You can do it, I know you can.
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