NEAT GIFT IDEA!!

I just found this nifty idea on the Gourmet Mom on-the-go blog. These would be cute gifts for a neighbor who lives alone, shut ins, or even teacher gifts! I have not tried these, so I don't know how easy....or not so easy, they are to make, but I thought they were cute, and wanted to share them with you!

Apple Surprise Mini Pies:
The surprise? There's actually a cheesecake layer beneath the apple pie filling!
How cute would these be as end-of-the-year Teacher gifts? I used half pint jars but you could use ramekins or whatever else you want.

Apple Surprise Mini Pies
makes 12
Ingredients:
1 3/4 C. (1 package) Graham Crackers
1/3 C. butter, melted
24 oz. (3 pkg) Philadelphia Cream Cheese
3/4 C. sweetened condensed milk
2/3 C. white sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cans apple pie filling
2 ready-made pie crusts (the kind that is just dough that you unwrap, or make your own)
12 half pint canning jars or ramekins
Drinking glass (a little larger than your jar lids), to cut out crust
Directions:
Place graham crackers in ziploc bag and crush. I think this was the kids' favorite part. Wham! Wham! Wham!
Pour melted butter into baggie with graham crackers and shake to mix well. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of graham cracker mixture into bottom of a half pint jar and carefully spread around.
For cheesecake layer, beat cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add sugar, eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice and mix well. Place 1/3 c. of cream cheese mixture into each jar.
Fill jars to the top with apple pie filling (about 1/2 C).

Unroll pie crust. Find a drinking glass or round cookie cutter that is about 1/2" larger than your jar lid and cut out 4 circles. Re-roll remaing dough and cut out 2 more circles. Repeat with other pie crust. If desired, cut small slits or a little shape in the middle of your crust.
Place one cutout crust on each jar and pinch edges to resemble a pie crust. Finish with a light dusting of white sugar.

Place on a cookie sheet (just in case any of them leak, you don't want to clean that out of your oven!) and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until pie crusts are browned.
I came back in the kitchen to find these two little bakers waiting veeeeeery patiently for their pies to come out of the oven... Remove from oven. Tie a small ribbon around each jar, if desired, and serve. I can't wait to make these for our next sit-down dinner, they'd be adorable served to each guest for dessert!