Apple and honey pie pops

Like most Jewish holidays, Rosh Hashanah brings to mind certain traditional food customs-the most well-known being the dipping of apples in honey.

And while a classic apple pie or cake is a lovely way to commemorate our hopes for a "sweet new year," I thought it would be fun to change things up a bit. These apple and honey pie "pops" are a cinch to make-and even more fun to eat! They can be assembled (and frozen) in advance, and are especially nice to serve for a crowd-no cutting or forks needed!

Even better, you only need a few simple ingredients, yet wind up with something truly delicious-and a little different. Sweet indeed!

Ingredients

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp honey

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 package (2 crusts) refrigerated piecrusts, set out at room temperature for 15 minutes

1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp water

raw or "sanding" sugar, for sprinkling

Special equipment:

2-3" cookie cutter (or drinking glass)

lollipop sticks

Directions

In a medium pan combine the apples, sugar, honey, cinnamon and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, or till the apples have softened and the juices have thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.

Pre-heat oven to 400; line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Unroll one pie crust on a work surface. Use your cutter to make as many circles as you can; place on your prepared baking sheets. Put a lollipop stick in the center of each circle, pressing down lightly to secure. Place a teaspoon of cooled filling on each circle. Use a pastry brush to brush a bit of the beaten egg around the edge of each circle.

Unroll the second piecrust and cut out an equal number of circles to the first crust-place atop the filled crusts and press lightly to seal. Crimp the edges with a fork, and make a few small incisions in the center to allow steam to escape. Brush tops with the egg and sprinkle with the raw sugar (pops may be frozen at this point-reheat directly from the freezer, adjusting baking time by a few extra minutes).

Bake pops for 20 minutes; transfer trays to wire racks to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature (pops may be kept tightly sealed, at room temperature, for 3-5 days).