Smoked Apple Pie Cups

The Origin of Apple Pie

Despite being an American staple, apple pie is actually not so American. Apple pie originated in England before America. Apples weren’t even native to New England until they were brought over from the motherland. Also, apple pie in England took influences from French, Netherlands, and Ottoman Empire cuisines. The first apple pie recipe appeared in England in the 14th century and the first apple pie recipe in America appeared America’s first cookbook in 1796.

Apple pie became apart of American culture due to how affordable and easy it was to make and thanks to advertising and the news. For example, a 1902 New York Times editorial posed its importance in America by calling it “the American synonym for prosperity,” and that “Pie is the food of the heroic,”as well as “No pie-eating people can be permanently vanquished.” The phrase “as American as apple pie” became a common saying as newspapers like the New York Times and the Gettysburg Times continuously advertised that phrase in the 1920’s. Read more about the interesting history and rise the American fame here!

How to Make Smoked Apple Pie Cups

What are these smoked apple pie cups made of?

This smoked apple pie recipe is made with three different components. First are the phyllo dough cups flavored with cinnamon. Phyllo dough is an ultra thin dough you must layer on top of each other to create stability. The phyllo cups are filled with classic vanilla bean pastry cream then topped with the smoked and spiced apple compote. Apple pie is a Thanksgiving classic so this recipe is a must-try for the creative baker!

Make the pastry cream:

Pastry cream is a fundamental product, and I use it in several recipes. Boil the milk with the vanilla bean and pod, temper the egg mixture, bring to a boil, whisk in the butter, cool. Tempering in baking is bringing two liquids you plan to combine to a similar temperature before mixing all together. The cornstarch, primary, and the yolks, secondary, are the thickening agents here. When boiling it all together, make sure it comes to a full boil while whisking constantly otherwise the bottom will burn, and let it boil for 1-2 minutes to remove the cornstarch taste and texture. Allow to cool in the fridge until set and cold.

Make the apple compote:

After peeling and coring the apples, dice into small pieces so you get a good spoonful that fits nicely into the phyllo cups. Cornstarch is the thickening agent in this compote because the apples will emit a lot of juices. The cornstarch will thicken up that liquid and create a sort of glaze on the apples. Cornstarch must be first whisked into a cold liquid (called making a slurry) before being cooked and used as a thickening agent. When adding the lemon juice slurry, make sure to work quickly to evenly coat all the apples.

When cooking your apples you want a slight crunch. Cook too much and you’ll turn them to mush. Cook too little and you’ll still have crunchy apple pieces. Check the apples frequently as they cook, and make sure to stir often so the apples pieces are evenly cooked. Once you have that perfect, slight crunch, add in your slurry and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes to allow the cornstarch to activate and thicken and to cook out the cornstarch taste and texture.

Set up the stovetop smoker and smoke:

Grab an old pot you don’t care too much about since the pot will get scorched and be difficult to clean afterwards. Soak the wood chips for at least 10-15 minutes. This will help get it smoky, and you will use tinfoil as a barrier between the chips and the bowl of ice cream base. Once soaked, drain and dump the wood chips into the pot, and turn on the heat to medium. Allow the steam to dissipate first then once it starts smoking place the tinfoil barrier then the compote, then cover with tinfoil to smoke.

Make sure to stir every couple minutes to evenly distribute the smoke flavor. Taste test after about five minutes, but before you do, drink some water and smell your arm to neutralize your senses of the smoke smell. If it needs more smoke flavor keep the heat on. If it’s smoky enough turn the heat off, and allow the smoke to dissipate before removing the tin foil.

Making the phyllo cups:

The phyllo cups are made of layers of individual sheets of phyllo and butter to make what’s called a book. Working with phyllo dough is tricky since it’s so thin and rips easily. The trick is to work efficiently and have everything you need at arms length. Pay special attention to the first layer of phyllo dough by being extra gentle. Also, firmly press each sheet on as we do not want your sheets to come apart when baking! When you have your phyllo books made, it is time to bake right away!

Cut the book into 6 roughly even squares (you’ll need to repeat the book making for the remaining 6 cups), and carefully mold the phyllo squares into the mufifn tin. Docking, or poking holes, in the bottom will help prevent any air bubbles from forming distorting the bottom of the cups. If air bubbles do form, you can always press them out. Side cavings can happen during baking. The prevent this, press the sides of the square against the side of the pan and fold the excess outward instead of sticking straight up. Carefully and gently press the sides back up during baking if cave-ins do happen.

Finishing the smoked apple pie cups:

To finish these smoked apple pie cups, you need the cold pastry cream, the phyllo cups, and the apple compote (warm or at room temperature). Spoon or pipe with a piping bag the vanilla pastry cream in the bottom of the cup. You only need about 1-2 tablespoons, but make suer you have enough for all. Spoon on the apple compote after and make sure it does come over the top in a mound. Serve these right away to keep the cups crispy as you’ll only have about an hour or two before they start to loose their crunchiness.