Mini Roasted Apple Pie Stacks

This simple little dessert is my pick for I Heart Cooking Clubs theme of the week, Let's Get Roasted. Giada's Roasted Apple Pies are a quick and easy dessert that ended up being pretty cute, kind of like a deconstructed apple pie. I couldn't leave well enough alone and had to switch up the recipe a touch, using homemade pie crust -- and also cutting hearts out for the top crust instead of a plain circle as per the recipe. I love hearts. They always make me smile, especially in desserts :)

Roasted Apple Pies

I called these Mini Apple Pie Stacks since it was easier for the kids to grasp ;)

Giada De Laurentiis

1 (9-inch) refrigerated rolled pie crust -- I used a pie crust dough disk that I had stashed in my freezer since Thanksgiving, recipe here at allrecipes
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled -- I used 4 apples
1/4 cup granulated sugar -- doubled this to 1/2 cup for the 4 apples
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting -- doubled this to 2 tbsp, but could have done with less
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Special equipment: a 3-inch round cookie cutter (I also used a heart cookie cutter for the tops)

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper sprayed with vegetable cooking spray.

Unroll the pie crust out on a work surface. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 8 disks of pastry.

Arrange the pastry disks on the prepared baking sheet. Using the tines of a fork, prick the pastry all over. -- I forgot to do this and it is important so please don't forget like I did! --Bake until brown and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely, about 10 minutes.

Slice the bottom of the apples to create an even surface for cutting. Slice each apple into 6 (1/2-inch) slices. Cut each apple slice in half and remove any seeds or pieces of core. In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Add the apple slices and toss until coated.

Shake off any excess mixture. Arrange the apple slices on the same baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until dark brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream until thick, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and continue to beat until the cream is very thick.

To assemble the pies: Place the pastry disks on a work surface. Divide the cooked apple slices among 4 of the disks. Dollop about 2 tablespoons of the cream on top of the apples and cover with the remaining disks.

Transfer the apple pies to dessert plates, dust with cinnamon and serve immediately.

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These were a fun and easy treat and it was nice to do another Giada recipe that used up ingredients I already had on hand. I think if I would have remember to prick the pie crust rounds these would have turned out even better, mine ended up puffing up a lot and were thicker than I expected, even though I rolled them thin. There is a ton of cinnamon in these so be prepared. I would decrease it if you are not a huge cinnamon lover. Picky hubby was kind of scared of these because he said they smelled like potpourri :)