Name: Apple Butter Pie Pops
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Ingredients: ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons apple butter; 1 ounce (28 grams) cream cheese , softened; 1 recipe single-crust pie dough (see Ingredient Note below); 8 (4- to 6-inch) lollipop or popsicle sticks; 1 large egg , lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Why This Recipe Works

Making the best apple pie pops doesn't mean simply putting your favorite apple pie filling on a stick. For starters, peeling, chopping, and precooking were too much hassle for these petite pies. And leaking wasn't OK, whether in the oven or onto our shoes when taking a bite. Using apple butter for the filling addressed these concerns; it stayed thick through baking and offered warm-spiced, deep apple flavor that easily satisfied our apple pie cravings. But we found that apple butter was too sweet on its own; blending in a couple tablespoons of cream cheese added creaminess, richness, and tang.

Before You Begin

You can find lollipop and popsicle sticks at most craft stores. To soften cream cheese, microwave it for 10 to 15 seconds. This recipe can be easily doubled.

Instructions

Stir apple butter and cream cheese together in small bowl until fully combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Roll dough into 15-inch circle on floured counter. Using 3-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut 16 rounds from dough circle and transfer to parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet. Reserve dough scraps for another use. Cover rounds loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm but still pliable, about 10 minutes.

Line second rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Transfer 8 dough rounds to second prepared sheet, spaced evenly apart. Working with 1 dough round at a time, lay lollipop stick flat on top of dough with 1 end in center of dough round. Press stick firmly into dough. Mound 1 tablespoon apple butter mixture in center of each dough round on top of stick. Transfer sheet with filled rounds to freezer and chill for 10 minutes.

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Brush edges of filled dough rounds with egg wash, then top with remaining chilled dough rounds, pressing edges firmly to seal. Crimp edges of each pie with fork. Cut three ½-inch slits in top of each pie and brush with remaining egg wash.

Bake until crusts are golden brown, 22 to 26 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer sheet to wire rack and let pies cool for 10 minutes. Using spatula, carefully transfer pies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Serve.