ingredients!

dough:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cold & cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup of sour cream

filling:
• 2 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced small
• 2 tsps fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsps all-purpose flour
• optional: caramel candy, diced small

topping:
• egg wash (1 egg lightly whisked with 1 tbsp water)
• optional: crystal sanding sugar

dough:
• whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.
• add the cubed butter to the bowl and use your fingers to work the butter into the flour until the mixture is the consistency of wet sand.
• stir in the sour cream, and then turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. the dough will be wet.
• knead the dough a few times until it comes together, adding more flour-- 1 teaspoon at a time, if the dough is too sticky to handle. roll the dough into a rectangle and dust both sides with flour before folding it into thirds as if you were folding a letter.
• rotate the dough 90° and roll it out again into a rectangle. fold the dough again into thirds then wrap it securely in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes while you make the filling.

filling:
• in a small bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar and flour, stirring until thoroughly mixed. set aside.

assemble!
• preheat the oven to 425°F.
• unfold the dough onto a well-floured surface, rolling it out to a square.
• using a circular cookie cutter (or any shape!), cut out as many circles as possible.
• re-roll the scraps and continue cutting out circles until you run out of dough, ensuring you end up with an even number of circles.
• place the dough circles on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. (you might need 2-3 trays depending on the size of your dough circle!)
• spoon a small portion of the apple filling into the center of each circle, leaving enough of a border around the filling.
• optional: add a few pieces of caramel.
• place a second dough circle on top of each filled circle then use a fork to crimp the edges together, sealing each pie.
• brush each pie with the egg wash, and using a sharp knife, cut two or three vents on the top of each pie.
• optional: Sprinkle the pies with crystal sanding sugar.
• bake the pies for about 15-20 minutes, or until they're golden brown.
• remove the pies from the oven and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
• repeat the filling and baking process with the remaining dough circles.