The Budget Casa

We love the comforting aromas and taste of a homemade apple pie -- there's just something about the mingling smells of apples and cinnamon baking with a flaky dough crust, and the taste of the pie alongside a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Lucky for us, apples are just starting to show up at farmers' markets and farm stands. Why not pick up a half bushel and whip up a delicious apple pie? To make homemade apple pie -- without all the work that goes along with it -- try this recipe for mini apple pies. Use ramekins, or small oven-safe bowls or cups. Even coffee mugs would work.

You’ll need:
3 Granny smith apple, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tbsp. corn starch
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup sugar

1 store-bought pie crust, room temperature
2 tbsp. butter, cut into slices

To make:
Combine corn starch, cinnamon and sugar in a medium bowl. Toss in apples, coating them with the dry mixture. Take store-bought pie crust and place ramekins on top. Trace around ramekins with a knife, cutting out large rounds of dough. Divide apples evenly into ramekins. Dot with butter, then cover with dough, crimping around the edge.

Place ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake at 400° for 30 minutes.

Makes two mini apple pies.