Apple Pie Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a cupcake tin with 12 paper liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the oil, applesauce, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
5. Divide the batter between the 12 liners, filling each about halfway.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Apple Pie Filling

1. While the cupcakes bake, make the filling.
2. In a saucepan, melt down the butter over medium heat.
3. Once melted, add in the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice.
4. Stir and cook until the apples start to become tender and release their juices.
5. Mix together the cornstarch and water and pour into the apple mixture.
6. Continue to stir and heat the apples until thickened and syrupy (about 2 minutes).
7. Remove from heat and cool.

Pie Crust Garnish (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Roll out the dough and use pie crust punches to cut out any shape you like. If you don’t have punches, you can also cut little squares or circles.
3. Transfer the shapes to the baking sheet and lightly brush with heavy cream.
4. Sprinkle each piece with the cinnamon sugar and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Whipped Vanilla Bean Buttercream

1. Using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and vanilla bean paste until smooth.
2. Sift in all of the powdered sugar and then pour in the milk.
3. Mix on low speed to incorporate the sugar. Once there’s no longer any danger of sugar going all over your kitchen counter, bump up the medium speed and beat until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes).
4. Then pour in the heavy cream and mix on high speed for about 1 minute, or until light and fluffy.

Assemble

1. Make sure the cupcakes have completely cooled before assemingly.
2. Fit a piping bag with a large round tip and fill with the frosting. (You can also just snip off the end of the piping bag or a large ziplock bag).
3. Holding the tip in the very center of the cupcake, pipe a mound of frosting.
4. Using a spoon or small offset spatula, dip into the center of the frosting to create a well for the apple pie filling to sit.
5. Once all the cupcakes are frosted, fill the center with about 1/2 tbsp of the cooled apple pie filling.
6. Press in a cooled pie crust garnish and enjoy!