When we think summer desserts, we nearly always think pies. But when picnicing, barbequing or otherwise entertaining on these hot days, serving and eating a slice of pie isn’t always easy. You need to bring the pie (often with glass pie plate), a pie cutter and slice lifter, plates, forks and napkins. Then you have you clean it all up!

Instead of all this fuss, make these super easy “Pie Pops” or “Pie Cups”! They’re easy to grab and go, and there’s no cleanup or mess! An added benefit: if you have any worries about making and transferring a gluten-free pie crust, these recipes allow you to avoid it altogether! Simply roll and cut this resilient dough into small 4 inch circles which can be easily lifted and transferred without breakage worries.

The perfect pie solutions to many problems, plus you come out looking brilliant for such a clever dessert! (You can thank me later!)

Also see my video on FOX News DC showing off these fun pops!

Pie Pops or Pie Cups

Dough:

• 1 cup  Jules Gluten Free™ All-Purpose Flour (135 gr)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tbs. shortening, butter or non-dairy alternative (e.g. Earth Balance® Shortening Sticks)
• 3 Tbs butter or non-dairy alternative ( e.g. Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks)
• 2 – 3 tablespoons cold water OR 1 1/2 Tbs. vodka + 2-3 Tbs. cold water
• egg wash (1 egg + 1 Tbs. water) OR milk (dairy or non-dairy) for brushing on crust
• tongue depressors/popsicle sticks (if making pops)
• Demerara sugar to sprinkle on the pops

Apple Pie Filling:

• 2-3 crisp apples, cored, peeled and sliced (approximately 2 cups)
• 1/8 cup granulated cane sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (plus more for soaking water)

Dough:

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening and butter using a pastry cutter (or the flat paddle attachment on a stand mixer or a food processor). Add the vodka/water gradually to make the consistency you need to form a ball – err on the side of it being wetter rather than crumbly, but it should not be sticky. Form a disc with the dough, wrap in plastic and set aside on the counter for 30 minutes while you make the filling.

Filling:

Peel, core and slice apples.  While you are slicing the apples, put cut apples in a bowl with cold water and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to keep the slices from turning brown while slicing the rest of the apples.

Drain the apples and toss with the remaining ingredients.  Set aside to help juices form while rolling out the crust.

Making the Pies:

Prepare two cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper (for pops) or muffin tins (for cups), and gather large — 4 inch — round cookie cutters or a pastry cutter to manually cut circles out of the dough. Preheat oven to 375° F.

Dust a clean counter or pastry mat and rolling pin with Jules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour or gluten-free starch (cornstarch, potato starch, tapioca starch, arrowroot powder).  Roll to a thickness of 1/8 – 1/4 inch.

Using the large cookie cutter, cut shapes from rolled out dough (2 same-size shapes for each pie pop). Add scraps together to roll out again for more circles. For each pie pop, you should have two matching cut-out pieces of dough — approximately 10 matching pieces for 5 pops; 10 circles for 10 pie cups.

Pie Pops:

Place a dollop of fruit filling in the center of one from each pair of cut out dough shapes. Allow 1/2 inch border between the filling and the edge to allow for sealing with top piece. Dampen the border of dough with a moist finger and lay a matching piece of dough on top, pressing down on the center gently with the palm of your hand, and pressing the edges together gently to seal.

Lay each mini pie onto the prepared cookie sheets and brush with milk of choice. Sprinkle Demerara (or other granulated) sugar on tops and cut a small slit or two in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape during baking.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove to cool before making pops.

To make the pops, gently insert a tongue depressor or popsicle stick into the seam between the two pressed pieces of dough. Insert 1-2 inches, or until stable.

Pie Cups:

Place individual circles of dough into ungreased muffin cups by gently pressing into the bottom of each cup.

Over-fill each cup with cut apple mixture – it will bake down to just over the top of each cup. Bake in preheated 375°F oven for 14-15 minutes – do not overbake!

Allow to cool before removing from the muffin cups.

Bonus Recipe – Mini Cinnamon Rolls!

I don’t know if your Grandma did this or not, but one of my favorite memories of my Grandma’s pies were the leftovers!

She rolled together the scraps of dough that weren’t used for the pie, slathered with butter and sprinkled with brown sugar and cinnamon. She then rolled those up into a log and cut them into 1/2 inch mini cinnamon rolls that she baked with her pies.

While the pies were cooling, we enjoyed these leftovers which only took 10 minutes to cook. A tasty precursor to the main affair!