From Scratch to Scrumptious

This recipe is both a delicious treat and a beautiful dish that you can make from scratch! When I was single, I would make a whole batch and freeze them. Before school each morning, it was so easy to grab one and microwave it. It was like waking up to warm apple pie each day.

Now that I have a bigger family, I double the recipe to be sure we have enough for breakfast. Then I pack any leftovers for a morning snack later in the week.

Flour: all-pupose flour

Baking powder: This levening agent causes your biscuits to rise and doesn’t need an acid to work.

Salt: table salt

Sugar: Brown sugar is used for the apples to give the filling a slightly caramel flavor. Granulated sugar is combined with cinnamon to make the classic mixture for topping.

Shortening: An unflavored shortening like original Crisco works well here.

Milk: Functions to hold the biscuit dough together.

Apples: diced small, about 1cm. See below for a discussion on which apples work best in this recipe.

Cinnamon: a hint of flavor for the filling and topping

You need a good apple that won’t fall apart when baked. Anything that works well in a pie would work well here. Gala is good for a sweet filling. Cosmic crisp would be sweet with a tiny bit of tartness. Granny Smith would be good if you like a really tart dessert!

I developed this recipe using cosmic crisp apples, so if you choose a sweeter apple, you may want to decrease the sugar slightly. Adjust the sugar to your taste. Use the apple you like best, but check to be sure that it’s a “baking apple” first.

Dice peeled apples to small pieces, about 1/4-1/2″ (1 cm) squares.

Want to check out an easy way to dice apples? Click here: Best Way to Dice Apples

To work the shortening into the biscuit dough, most people use a pastry cutter. I like a simpler method. Using just your hands, you can work the shortening into the dough in a way that makes your biscuits flakier and softer. It’s called the “Snapping Method”.

This method results in thin layers of fat between the flour, increasing the flaky layers.

Using thumb and fingers, perform a snapping motion over the shortening, forming it into the thinnest layer possible. Once all the shortening has been snapped to small pieces, gently shake the bowl. This forces the larger pieces to rise to the top. Snap those pieces until no pea-sized pieces remain.

After patting down the dough, cut as many 3″ rounds as space allows. Re-rolling the scraps can make the biscuits tough, so avoid this by separating the remaining scraps into the remaining number of biscuits. You want 7 biscuits total. You may find that you are able to cut 6 biscuits and only need to gather the scraps into one last biscuit. Rolls the scraps into a ball.

Using your hands, pat cut biscuits into a round 1/8″ thick. Diameter will be about 4 1/2 – 5″ across. Flatten the scrap ball into the same shape.

If you had to knead the dough to get it to come together, you may find that the dough springs back after flattening it. If this is the case, let the dough rest 15-20 minutes. Give the gluten time to relax, and the dough will stretch and flatten more easily.

Spoon 1 teaspoon cinnamon-sugar on top of each flattened biscuit, leaving a 1/2″ ring clear at the edge. Scoop 1/4 cup of apple filling in the middle of the biscuit. Be careful not to get any filling on the edges or it will be difficult to seal.

Bring up edges to cover apple filling. There are a variety of sealing methods to use. You may fold the dough in half and pinch to seal from side to side. You may fold and crimp shut like a round dumpling. You may do a tri-corner fold and crimp like a pirate hat. Find what works best for you!

If edges won’t seal readily, dampen the edges with milk to make them stickier. Dip your finger in a small amount of milk and run it along the edge of the biscuit. Be sparse.

I recommend storing tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Since they are best served warm, reheat them before serving.

Apple Crowns can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days, but this isn’t my preferred way to store them.

Apple Crowns also freeze beautifully. Place them in a covered container and freeze safely up to 6 months. Reheat one at a time or all at once!

Parts of this recipe can be prepared in advance to make the final shaping and filling easier.

Apples: If you are using Cosmic Crisp apples, you can dice them the day before cooking and store them in a sealed container in the fridge. Cosmic Crisp apples don’t oxidize (turn brown) the same way that most other apples do. (Can you tell that I love Cosmic Crisp apples?) Your apples may need an extra minute to cook.

Apple Filling: The apple filling can be cooked the day before baking. Reheat to at least room temperature to keep the baking time the same.

Biscuit Dough: The biscuit dough can be prepared the day before baking. Combine all of the dough ingredients and refrigerate in a covered container. Roll out and shape the day of baking.