Apple Pie Cookies (with or without nuts)

Hey folks! So since I'm in the Christmas spirit I've been baking up a storm, some successful (this recipe), some not so successful (the fudge). Anyway, of everything I made my favorite was actually an original and personally Kelly recipe!

So here's what you need -

Utensils - You'll need a cupcake tin (or a baking sheet but the cupcake tin is WAY easier) and a circular cookie cutter - or small water glass which is what I used.

Ingredients - Get one of those boxes of the 2 uncooked pie shells (like, the pillsbury kind) that you find by the butter and eggs in the grocery store. And secondly, a large can of apple pie filling (or you can make your own apple pie filling, but I'm not gonna lie about where mine came from :) haha). Also, while I'm not going to give "amounts" you also need brown sugar, cinnamon and sugar to dust on top when you're done.

So basically you the pie shells into little circles and lay them into the cupcake tin, it's ok if they don't go to the top. If you're going to do them on a baking sheet, don't fold them up or anything.

Then you want to take small scoops and place them in the middle of the cup/cookie. I did it the cookie route, and they were pretty good but I could EASILY see how the cupcake tin route was better. Also, I feel like you could use more apple filling with the cupcake tins whereas I put a limited amount of apple pie filling on the cookies for fear they would just run all over the pan.

I cooked them for however long it says to cook the pie crust at whatever temperature the box said, plus about 3 minutes or so. It depends on your stove though.

Then if you want, you can sprinkle on the dusting of brown sugar, regular sugar and cinnamon.

If you want to proceed on to more deliciousness, you can do that too.

That's by adding a candied nut topping. And to make this, you'll need:

1 lb pecans
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

So you whip up the eggs with the vanilla with your trusty kitchen aid until you've got kind of a frothy mixture. Add the nuts and stir them with a wooden spoon until they are coated, then add the rest of the ingredients (mixing them ahead of time is a good idea, before pouring them on the nuts). Mix them up with that trusty wooden spoon again. Then put them in the oven on 250 and stir them every 15 minutes so they don't stick together too much.

Then once these bad boys are done, throw them on the top of your cupcakes/cookies, and deliciousness ensues! Enjoy and Merry Christmas!