Mini Apple Pies

Place the alcohol in a measuring cup and add the cold water. Place it in the freezer while you prepare the other ingredients.
15 mL whiskey or bourbon, vodka, any spirit works, 60 mL cold water
Place the flour and salt in the bowl of the food processor. Place the whole bowl in the freezer while you cube the butter.
150 grams all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
Add the cubed butter to the flour in the freezer, for 5-10 minutes.
113 grams salted butter cold
Remove the bowl from the freezer, place it on the food processor and pulse until pea seize chunks form.
While the food processor is on, stream in the water mixture just until it starts to come together. Start with only 2 Tbsp of water and use up to 1/4 cup if needed, I usually do 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp of alcohol. You want the dough to be kinda crumbly but stick together when you press on it.
Remove the dough from the food processor, press it together so it all sticks together. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for an hour (or overnight).

Peel, core and dice the apples into small chunks - keep them fairly small/thin so they bake quick enough. Toss with the sugar and lemon juice and set aside for about 30-60 minutes (can do longer too).
2 lbs apples weighed whole, before peeling & coring, 100 grams light brown sugar, 1 small lemon

Preheat the oven to 350F (177C) conventional/no fan because you don't want a soggy bottom.
Roll the pie crust out until it's about 1/8" thick. Try to work quickly so the dough doesn't get too warm. Use a 4" round cookie cutter to cut out 12 circles. If you position them strategically you should get exactly 12. If you're using a store bought pie crust, I could only get 11 so I just re-rolled out the scraps to get 1 more.
Use small leaf cookie cutters to cut out designs between the circles, using the scraps. I also re-rolled the scraps to make more leaf designs. Just try not to over-work the dough and work quickly so it doesn't get too warm.
Grease a muffin dish with baking spray and feel free to line them with a strip of parchment paper. Mine didn't stick at all so I don't think it's absolutely necessary.
Place each circle into a muffin tin and gently press it down and against the sides. Place the muffin tin in the freezer until the dough feels firm.

Strain the apples from their juices.**
Add the cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to the apples and mix until they're well combined.
15 grams cornstarch, 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, pinch fine sea salt

In a small bowl use a fork to aggressively beat the egg until it's loosened. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the frozen pie crusts with the egg wash.
1 egg* for egg wash
Place about 1.5-1.6 ounces of filling into each pie crust, filling them as full as possible, making sure to press the apples down.
Place a couple of the pie crust leaf designs on top, brush it with egg wash and freeze for another 10 minutes just to make sure they don't lose their shape. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until they're golden brown all around.
Remove the apple pies from the oven, allow them to cool for about 10-15 minutes in the pan before removing.