Beth's Carmel Apple Tarts or "Alien Pods"

Ingredients:
3 pkg premade pie crust
4 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, diced small
1 egg white
1 c sugar
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pkg caramel pieces
3 tbs butter
1 tbs milk
Powdered sugar glaze:
1 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix diced apple, egg white, all sugar, cinnamon together in a bowl. In a small saucepan, add caramels, butter, and milk. Stir constantly on medium low until melted (be careful not to boil). Add warm caramel to apple mixture.

Unroll pie crusts. Take a small lid or plate, approximately 5-6 in in diameter, and use to cut small circles out of the dough. Roll remaining dough until very thin, 2 centimeters thick, and cut more circles with butter knife. Place circles in small muffin pan and press down to the bottom. Add apple mixture to each muffin space, careful not to overfill. Take edges of pie crust and twist up. Bake for 35 minutes, checking to see when pie crust is just golden brown.

Make sugar glaze and brush over the tops when cooled.

"I created this recipe in a failed attempt to make caramel apple empanadas. My husband thought they looked like the alien pods in the movie "Alien", since some of the tarts looked like they burst open revealing green oozy stuff inside. Not too appealing, but very tasty and a great treat for Halloween! I made them for a family get together and we barely had any left."