Apple Pie in a Jar – A Deconstructed Dessert

Nothing says summer to me like apple-pie. After running barefoot through the grass and swinging thought the willow trees at my grandma’s house during summer vacation, nothing was better than going inside for a slice of her special apple pie topped with a healthy scoop of vanilla ice cream. And in a bid to say farewell to summer and all things red white and blue and apple pie, there is apple pie in a jar

While Grandma’s traditional apple pie is always a sure-fire winner,  I created a fun deconstructed variety that has all the apple pie goodness with a bit different presentation. Grandma had a perfect couple of tart apple trees out back she made pies with, but granny smith apples or regular apples with a spritz of lemon juice work just fine here. This will make 4 8-oz jars of apple “pies.”

If you’re gluten-free, just leave out the crusts from this recipe for a yummy gluten-free dessert!

Ingredients:

• Five granny smith apples, peeled and sliced into chunks
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon dry tapioca pudding (in a box)
• Rolled refrigerated premade pie crust
• 1 tablespoon milk
• Vanilla ice cream
• Cinnamon sticks for garnish

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine apples, cinnamon, sugar, salt and tapioca. Pour into ovenproof baking dish and bake for one hour. I like to use a bread pan for this so the apples stay moist. Let cool.

Roll out the piecrust and brush with milk. Sprinkle dough with sugar. Cut the circular crust into equal sized wedges and bake on a cookie sheet for thirteen minutes or until slightly golden around the edges.

Scoop 2/3 cup of apple pie filling into an 8 oz jelly jar, top with a small scoop of ice cream, a sugared piecrust wedge and a cinnamon stick to serve.

This one was kid approved with four thumbs up!