Apple Pie Cookies

** Recipe from Annie's Eats **

* 2½ c. all-purpose flour
* 2 Tbl. sugar
* 1 tsp. salt
* 1 c. unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
* ½ c. very cold water
* 2-3 medium apples, whatever variety you prefer for baking
* Squeeze of lemon juice
* 1/3 c. sugar
* 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
* Dash of grated nutmeg
* Water
* 1 large egg lightly beaten with 1 tsp. of water
* Sugar, for sprinkling

(NOTE: of course you can use a frozen pie crust, but homemade is always recommended!! ;)
To make pie dough, combine flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl & stir with a fork to blend. Using a pastry cutter (or your preferred method), cut butter into flour mixture until mixture is coarse and largest pieces of butter are no bigger than small peas. Stir in water & mix gently just until dough has come together in a cohesive ball & all of dry ingredients have been moistened. Form dough into a disc and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Transfer to refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hr.  When ready to make cookies, preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Peel apples & cut off sides in four large chunks, removing and discarding cores. With each large piece of apple, further slice into thin slices (between 1/8- and ¼" thick). Use a small round cookie cutter (about 2" in diameter) & cut round discs out of apple slices. Place apple rounds in a bowl & toss with lemon juice. In another small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg, and whisk to blend.   Assembly:  transfer half of chilled pie dough to a lightly floured work surface (keep remaining half chilled). Use a rolling pin to roll dough out very thin, about 1/8 to ¼" thick. Use a larger round cookie cutter (about 2½ to 2¾" in diameter) to cut out rounds of pie dough. Transfer half of rounds to prepared baking sheet. Brush rounds lightly with water (will help pies seal). Take a few apple slices at a time and coat them in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place each on top of a round of pie dough. Layer a second round of dough on top of each apple slice and gently press edges to help seal. Repeat this process with the remaining dough and apple slices. Crimp and seal edges of the mini pies with tines of a fork, dipping in flour if needed to prevent sticking. Lightly brush tops of cookies with egg wash. Use a small paring knife to cut tiny slits in top of each cookie. Sprinkle with additional sugar, if desired.  Bake 25-28 min. or until light golden brown.