Mini pies -- 375 F

Rev. 28-Dec-2016

Flaky pie crust

Total time: 20 minutes, plus chilling time.
Makes enough dough for 1 single (9-inch) pie crust or 4 (double-crust) to 6 (single-crust) mini-pies.

  1. To make the dough using a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt and sugar until thoroughly combined. Add the shortening and pulse until incorporated (the dough will look like moist sand). Add the butter and pulse just until the butter is reduced to small, pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle the vinegar and water over the mixture, and pulse once or twice until incorporated. Remove the crumbly mixture to a large bowl and gently press the mixture together until it comes together to form a dough. Mold the dough into a disk roughly 6 inches in diameter. Cover the disk tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

  2. To make the dough by hand, whisk together the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the shortening and incorporate using a pastry cutter or fork (the dough will look like moist sand). Cut in the butter just until it is reduced to small, pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle the vinegar and water over the mixture, and stir together just until incorporated. Proceed as above.

  3. Form the mini-pies: Prepare the muffin tins by greasing every other cup (fill alternating muffin cups to allow extra room to form and crimp the mini-crusts and to allow the heat to circulate more evenly to bake the crust as it bakes). On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a round one-eighth-inch thick and roughly 14 inches in diameter. Cut the dough into rounds using a 5 1/2-inch cutter. Gather the scraps and re-roll, cutting more large rounds (for bottom crusts) or smaller rounds (about 3 inches) to make the top crust. Carefully place the rounds in the muffin cups, pressing the dough against the bottom and edges of the cups. The dough should extend above the cups by one-half to three-fourths inch; roll the edges and crimp as desired.

  4. If pre-baking the mini-pie crusts, gently line the shells with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake in a 425-degree oven for 10 minutes, then remove the weights and foil. Brush the edges of the mini crusts with egg wash and prick the bottom once or twice with a fork. Continue baking until the bottom of the crust is dry and lightly colored, 6 to 8 minutes more.

Each of 8 servings, without egg wash: 193 calories; 2 grams protein; 18 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 12 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 19 mg cholesterol; 1 gram sugar; 220 mg sodium.

[Noelle Carter, Los Angeles Times, 17 November 2012]
http://recipes.latimes.com/recipe-flaky-pie-crust/

Mini double-crust apple pies

Total time: 1 1/2 hours, plus cooling time for the pies .
Servings: Serves 12.

Note: To rehydrate the raisins, place them in a small saucepan and cover with rum, another liqueur or juice, and warm over gentle heat until the raisins are softened and plump. Remove from heat and drain before using.

  1. Make the filling: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the diced apple, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, and cook, stirring frequently, just until the apple starts to soften, 4 to 5 minutes (the pieces should still be crisp). Remove from heat and stir in the raisins. Spread the apple mixture onto a baking sheet to allow the apples to cool quickly, then cover and refrigerate until needed. The filling can be made up to 2 days in advance.

  2. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

  3. Fill the pie shells: Brush the edges of each bottom crust with the prepared egg wash and fill with the apple filling, a generous one-fourth cup filling for each shell, carefully packing it in the shell so there are no gaps and mounding the filling slightly in the center. Top the filling with the top crusts (use a knife to cut vent holes in the top crusts if they are not already vented), and brush the top crusts with egg wash. Gently roll the outer edges of each bottom crust inward over the top crust to seal the pies and crimp as desired. Brush with a little more egg wash and dust if desired with a sprinkling of coarse sugar.

  4. Bake the mini pies, one tin at a time, in the center of the oven until the filling is set and the crust is puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes.

  5. Cool the pies, still in the tins, to room temperature, twisting them gently every few minutes so they do not stick to the pan.

Each serving: 511 calories; 6 grams protein; 57 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 29 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 64 mg cholesterol; 18 grams sugar; 544 mg sodium.

[Noelle Carter, Los Angeles Times, 17 November 2012]
http://recipes.latimes.com/recipe-mini-double-crust-apple-pies/

Mini pecan pies

  1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin tins in each alternating cup.

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks. Whisk in the corn syrup and sugar, then the melted butter, salt and bourbon. Stir in the pecan pieces.

  3. Fill the pie shells: Brush the edges with the prepared egg wash and fill with the pecan filling, about one-fourth cup filling for each shell .

  4. Bake the mini-pies, one tin at a time, in the center of the oven until the filling is set and the crust is puffed and golden brown, about 25 minutes.

  5. Cool the pies, still in the tins, to room temperature, twisting them gently every few minutes so they do not stick to the pan.

Each serving: 619 calories; 7 grams protein; 57 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 42 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 141 mg cholesterol; 18 grams sugar; 455 mg sodium.

[Noelle Carter, Los Angeles Times, 17 November 2012]
http://recipes.latimes.com/recipe-mini-pecan-pies/

Dec. 2016. I used 4 cups of pecan pieces (1 lb.). It looks like this batch will fill at least 36 of the little 3" tart shells. I ran out of dark corn syrup. I made up the difference with light corn syrup and molasses.]

Mini-pies can bring holiday dilemma down to scale

Short of any family drama, the biggest dilemma most of us face at the holiday table revolves around dessert. Specifically: Which pie do I choose? (Or, rather: Why do I only get to try one?)

Why stop at one? Friends and family, there is a solution: The mini-pie.

At first glance, it looks exactly like a traditional pie … but miniaturized. Same rich and buttery crust with that tell-tale flake, same flavorful filling. All scaled down, "Mini-Me"-style. It may even have the same artfully crimped edges, only they're tiny. Delicate even.

Call them what you will -- tiny pies, muffin tin pies, cup-pies (à la the show "Pushing Daisies") -- they're essentially pies baked in muffin tins. And you can bake batches at a time.

You don't need anything fancy to make the cute little guys -- a couple of standard nonstick muffin tins will do, maybe one or two tiny cookie cutters if you want to get fancy. As for ingredients, a single standard pie's worth of filling and two to three single pie crusts are enough to give you a dozen or so mini-pies.

They make a perfect project. Though mini-pies are a bit more involved than throwing together a standard pie -- you are, of course, forming and filling a bunch of smaller pies rather than one of, well, normal stature -- they are fun to make. Vary the crimping for the crusts, add little lattice tops if you'd like. Use tiny cutouts baked from spare bits of pie crust to garnish the pies. Let your creative juices flow, albeit on a size-restricted scale.

Probably the only thing more entertaining than actually making the pies is watching your guests gleefully devour them. The little pies are great when you're planning for company or potlucks. Did I mention holiday dinners? And they make perfect homemade gifts, each treat individually wrapped for family and friends.

Of course, you could just keep a batch all to yourself. No dilemma there.

[Noelle Carter, Los Angeles Times, 17 November 2012]
http://www.latimes.com/food/la-fo-mini-pies-20121117-story.html