Bourbon Caramel Apple Popovers

Looking for an alternative to your Thanksgiving apple pie this year? Look no further! These apple popovers are the perfect sweet mini treat when you're trying to also devour pumpkin pie, pecan pie, sweet potato pie and of course the entire dinner. 

I love Thanksgiving, it was always my favorite holiday growing up with a massive family. All my cousins would come over and we would have a blast at the kid's table while the adults were in the other room (equally getting rowdy). As we've grown up, gotten married, moved to different places, built new families, Thanksgiving looks different now, but I will never forget all the great memories of smashing in at the table with all my cousins and laughing so hard you fell out of your seat. Cheers!

Ingredients:

Filling (cook down apples on stove for 5 min until soft):
1 lb cooking apple - peel and cut into 1/3 inch cubes
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon 
 
Caramel (cook on stove for 5 min):
1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp water
2 tbsp bourbon 
 
2 sheets puff pastry (Trader Joes is my favorite if you don't want to make your own) 
1 egg
1 tbsp water

Directions:

1. In a medium pan on medium heat cook down the butter and chopped apples until slightly soft (about 5 min), then add cinnamon, make sure to stir occasionally so they don't burn and make sure not to overcook the apples, we don't want them to turn into applesauce since they will be baked more in the oven later

2. Remove the apples from the heat and place in a bowl to cool down. With the same pan add the brown sugar and 1 tbsp water, cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes to caramelize the sugar, while stirring. Then add the bourbon, mix well,  and then add the slightly soft apples. If you don't want to use alcohol simply substitute with 1 tbsp water 

3. Remove caramel apples from heat and let cool completely (about 30 minutes in the refrigerator/15 minutes in the freezer)

4. While apples are cooling, cut out your pastry into individual circles or triangles. If you want mini pies, use a cookie cutter and place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Make sure you have an even number of circles so there is a top and bottom to your pie

5. Once your apples are cooled, fill your pastry (make sure not to overfill) and place the other pastry circle on top. Seal your pies by using a fork to press down on the edges to crimp

6. Place filled pastry in freezer  for 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Make your eggwash by mixing the egg and 1tbsp of water 

7. Take the filled pastry out, cut small vent holes into top and brush the eggwash on top. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden