Apple Pie for Two can be shared with your sweetie. Don’t forget to top it with vanilla ice cream!
While I am an admitted chocolaholic, when Valentine’s Day rolls around I tend to look in other directions for our dessert fix. Maybe it’s because we have chocolate so often the rest of the year that when it’s expected we veer away.
Reverse dessert psychology.
Truth be told, Valentine’s Day has never been a big deal in our house anyway. Although I love giving (and getting) gifts and flowers and everything else that typically goes along with the holiday, I prefer to mark the holiday more simply, and enjoy it with the whole family rather than just my husband.
We tend to head out on a picnic, work in the yard, and just enjoy each other. After all, what’s sweeter than receiving handmade Valentines from your children?
With all this nontraditional celebrating I decided to head in the direction of pie for our dessert. Apple pie, to be exact.
What, you don’t think apple pie can be romantic? Well, when you make this sweet little pie for two, it is.
Apple pie is something I make often, whether it’s my favorite cheddar crumble apple pie or these sweet little apple pie bars. I’ve been wanting to make a pie for two for a long time, and what better time is there than Valentine’s Day?
You don’t necessarily need special tools to make this deep dish apple pie. I have 10-ounce ramekins, which turn out to be the absolute perfect size!
You can also use a small baking pan, or divide the recipe and make two smaller pies in a mega-muffin tin.
Some apple pie recipes call for cooking the apples beforehand, but this recipe doesn’t. I like my apples to retain a little bit of crispness in the pie, but if you like them softer go ahead and cook them in a saucepan before filling the crust.
Just be sure to let it cool completely beforehand, otherwise you will melt the butter in the crust!
This pie is great served with a scoop of ice cream, some whipped cream, or just two forks or spoons and your sweetie. Happy Valentine’s Day to all you chocolate avoiders!
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Apple Pie for Two Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 8 tablespoons Butter Cold and cut into chunks
- 2-3 tablespoons Ice Water
- 2 cups Apples Peeled and sliced
- 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 teaspoons Cornstarch Or instant clear gel
- 1 Egg Beaten
- Sugar For topping (optional)
Instructions
- In a food processor pulse together flour, salt, and granulated sugar. Pulse in butter, creating both large and small crumbs (the small crumbs should resemble cornmeal). Pulse in ice water, one tablespoon at a time, until mixture clumps together.
- Turn dough out onto plastic wrap. Pat together into a rectangle, then divide into thirds. Pat one third into a circle, and wrap in plastic. Combine the other thirds together, pat into a circle, and wrap in plastic. Place both circles in the refrigerator to chill.
- Meanwhile, put apples in a colander set over a large bowl. Sprinkle brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla over the apples and toss to coat. Let rest 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Remove larger disk of dough from the fridge. Sprinkle a work surface with flour and roll dough out to approximately 9 inches diameter. Place dough in a 10-ounce ramekin dish, fixing tears as needed and making sure the dough reaches the bottom edges of the dish. There will be excess dough hanging over. Place the ramekin in the fridge, and remove the smaller disk.
- Roll out smaller disk to approximately 5 inches diameter. Using a small cookie cutter, cut out a shape in the center or off-center. (Alternatively, you can just vent the dough with a knife once the pie is filled.) Save the cut-out.
- Working quickly, set the colander with apples in the sink, and whisk the clear jel or cornstarch into the juices that accumulated at the bottom of the bowl, leaving no lumps. Pour the apples into the bowl and toss with the thickened mixture.
- Remove the ramekin from the fridge and pour the apples into the prepared dough. Brush beaten egg along the top edge of the dough, then place top crust on. Pinch crusts together to seal, and remove any excess dough. Brush more egg on the top crust, and sprinkle with sugar if desired.
- Set ramekin on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, until crust is nicely browned and pie is bubbly. Let cool completely before serving.