Cinnamon Apple Puffs
Yield: 8 servings
This Cinnamon Apple Puffs recipe is one of the best apple desserts, a favorite from my childhood! It features tender biscuit puffs with a buttery cinnamon sugar topping, baked on a bed of sliced apples in a sweet cinnamony syrup.
Ingredients
for the apple base:
- 1.5 pounds firm tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced (I like to use Haralsons, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon red food coloring with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (use 1 teaspoon if you really like cinnamon! OR 1/4 c. Red Hots candies)
for the pastry biscuit puffs:
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup shortening
- ¾ cup milk
for the buttery cinnamon sugar topping:
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly butter a large deep pie dish (mine is 10'').
- For the apple base: Place apples in baking dish.
- In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine the sugar, water, and red food coloring, and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes until thickened slightly into a syrup. Pour syrup over apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon. (You can substitute the red food coloring and cinnamon for Red Hots candies, like my mom does. The Red Hots will melt into the syrup, giving it the red color and cinnamon flavor.)
- For the pastry biscuit puffs: In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. With a rigid pastry cutter, cut the shortening into the flour mixture until it looks like big crumbs. Stir in milk to combine.
- Divide dough into 8 portions, dropping by big spoonfuls on top of the apples. With the back of a spoon, make a good-sized indentation in the center of each puff.
- For the cinnamon topping: In a small bowl, combine butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Divide mixture amongst the indentations in each biscuit puff.
- Bake: Place in oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until puffs are lightly browned.
Let cool a bit and serve in small bowls while still warm, with a splash of cream or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
This dessert will always be best when eaten on the day it's made. I recommend enjoying it while it's still a bit warm.
To store & reheat/serve: If you have leftovers, let the baking dish sit on the counter for a day or two, uncovered or just lightly covered. Just know that the biscuit puffs will soak up the cinnamony syrup more and more, the longer it sits. Before serving, place an apple puff in a small bowl and microwave for a few seconds to warm. Or place in an oven-safe bowl and then reheat in a 300° F oven for 5 to 10 minutes - this will give you the best texture for the biscuit puffs.
Slightly adapted from Mom’s recipe box, originally from the kitchen of Doris Pirmantgen.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 363kcal Carbohydrates: 65g Protein: 4g Fat: 10g Saturated Fat: 5g Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g Cholesterol: 13mg Sodium: 287mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 42g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.