Diamond Dishes: Decadent apple dessert one bite at a time

I’ve done something terribly wonderful. Or, wonderfully terrible. You decide. Listen to this — luscious apple pie filling, made from scratch with fresh apples, wrapped inside crispy sugary fried wontons, dipped in caramel sauce. Each miniature pie is a luscious little bite of bliss.

If you love the flavor of apples and caramel, you’re going to flip over this recipe. I love creating recipes that take inexpensive ingredients and turn them into something grand. This one fits the bill.

This recipe uses an unusual, very inexpensive ingredient in a fun way. For our “pie crust” we’re using wonton wrappers. They cost around $2, and you’ll find them in the produce department of most grocery stores near the tofu and other Asian products.

If working with wonton wrappers is new to you, here’s some advice. Wontons dry out quickly, so once opened, be sure to keep them covered with a moist towel as you work.

When making the following recipes, you can make the apple filling and caramel sauce in advance and reheat just before filling the wontons and frying.

One-Bite Apple Pies

Servings: 24 pieces

Ingredients

For the filling:

3 medium apples (I used Honeycrisp, but any apple works.)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon corn syrup

1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter

For the wontons:

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

24 to 30 wonton wrappers

Vegetable oil suitable for frying

1 egg

Procedure

Peel and core apples, dice and toss with lemon juice. You’ll want to dice these pretty small, so they fit easily in the wonton wrappers. Place apples in a saucepan. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, flour and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and stir to combine. Add butter and heat the mixture on low, stirring frequently for about 15 minutes, or until the apples are softened. Let this cool.

Meanwhile, mix the sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon, set aside. To fill the wontons, in a small bowl, make an egg wash by mixing an egg with a tablespoon of water. Dip your fingertips in the egg wash and lightly moisten the edges and corners of your wonton wrapper. Place a heaping teaspoon of the apple filling in the center of the wonton and bring the four corners of the wonton together. Press as much air out as possible and pinch the edges firmly together to seal. Repeat with remaining wontons. Keep filled pies covered with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees. Working in small batches, using a slotted spoon or tongs, place wontons seam side up in the oil, turning once as the first side cooks, and fry until golden brown, approximately one minute. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture while hot. Repeat with remaining wontons.

Easiest Caramel Sauce

This is the easiest caramel sauce I’ve ever made. Now you’re only 5 minutes away from slathering caramel on anything in need of caramel — which is absolutely everything.

Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients

1/4 cup whipping cream

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Procedure

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine whipping cream, brown sugar and butter. Cook, stirring frequently, until brown sugar is completely dissolved and sauce comes to a good bubble.

Remove from heat, add vanilla and salt, and stir. The sauce will thicken upon standing.

Serve the lovely little pies with the luscious sauce. It’s apple pie perfection, with every single bite.