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Servings: 4

Ingredients

Filling:

• 4 large firm organic apples, such as Fuji or Braeburn; peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 4 cups)
• 1/2 cup organic raisins
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon organic apple juice or water
• 1 cinnamon stick, 3 inches long
• 1 strip of lemon peel or 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 sheets of filo dough, approximately 13x17 inches each
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• Whipped cream, as garnish (optional)

Crumble Topping:

• 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Apple Filo Cups

Kids will love these clever apple treats that are served in individual golden filo cups. Try varying this dessert by substituting pears for the apples, or dried cranberries for the raisins.

Submitted by:
Earthbound Farm Since it began in a small backyard garden over 25 years ago, Earthbound Farm has been committed to bringing the benefits of healthy, delicious organic food to as many people as possible and serving as a catalyst for positive change.

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Make It

Combine the apples, raisins, sugar, apple juice, cinnamon, and lemon peel in a large skillet and place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture simmers. Lower the heat to medium and continue cooking until the apples are just soft, about 8 minutes.

Turn off the heat, cover the skillet, and let the apple mixture sit for 2 minutes. Remove the cover and let the mixture cool, about 10 minutes. When the apples are cool, discard the cinnamon stick and the lemon peel.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

Cut each sheet of filo pastry in half lengthwise, then stack the pieces on top of one another and cut crosswise into 3 equal squares. You should end up with 6 squares per sheet, each approximately 6.5x5 inches — a total of 18 squares of pastry from the 3 sheets of dough. Cover the squares with a damp kitchen towel so the dough doesn’t dry out as you work with the pieces.

Lightly brush one side of 4 squares of filo pastry with some of the melted butter. Line 4 muffin pan wells (alternate, not adjacent to each other) with one square of dough each, pressing the filo gently into the cup with your fingers so that it loosely molds to the cup’s shape. Some of the pastry should extend beyond the edges of the muffin wells. Don’t worry if the dough tears; the subsequent layers of filo pastry will cover any cracks or holes.

Butter 4 more squares of filo and place them one at a time on top of the first sheet, rotating them by 90 degrees each time, so that the overhanging corners of each sheet fills in the spaces between previous ones. Repeat this step with the remaining filo squares, arranging each successive layer so that the overhanging pastry edges form a ruffly circle of dough.

Divide the apple mixture equally among each of the 4 filo cups.

Make the crumble topping by combining the flour and sugar in a small bowl. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, rub the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in the walnuts and cinnamon.

Sprinkle some of the crumble mixture over each of the filo cups. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer the muffin pan to a wire rack and let it cool. Carefully remove the filo cups from the pan and serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Clean It

Working whole wheat pastry flour into recipes whenever you can is a great way to add a little more nutrition and fiber to recipes. It’s much lighter than traditional whole wheat flour and works very well in many kinds of baked goods.

Green It

Whenever you can, choose organic apples — especially for kids. The Environmental Working Group says that multiple pesticide residues are often found on conventionally raised apples, making them #2 on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list.

Make It Fun

Kids love to use their hands, so enlist them in working the butter into the flour-sugar mixture, and later in sprinkling the topping over the filo cups. Nothing builds an appetite like helping to create a delicious, aromatic treat!

Image Courtesy of Earthbound Farm.