Mini Fruit Pies

Mini Apple Fruit Pie

      Perfect for the upcoming Holidays (or anytime really!)  Use your own homemade, home canned fruit pie fillings - the perfect use!  Smaller portions let you make & bake a variety at one time so guests can chose their own dessert. You can certainly make fresh pie filling or use store-bought as well... The dough is easy to assemble and the pies, so easy to eat! ~Enjoy! Diane 

Single Crust Dough Ingredients:  
Make a double batch of dough for double crust pies
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
6 Tbs. (3⁄4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup shortening
2 to 3 Tbs. ice water, or as needed

Filling Ingredients: 
  click on each heading below to get the fruit filling recipe you prefer: 
  Apple Pie Filling 
 Cherry Pie Filling 
 Old Glory Pie Filling 

Directions: 
     To make the pastry, in the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt and sugar and pulse once to mix. Add the butter and shortening and process in short pulses to form pea-size crumbs, 20 to 25 seconds. While pulsing, gradually add the water to form larger, moist crumbs, 10 seconds more. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and, with floured hands, shape the mixture into a flat disk. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or as long as overnight. 

     Divide the dough into (4 portions for a single crust pies) 8 equal portions (if you are doing double crust pies) and form each into a small disk. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each of the disks into a 6-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Place a dough round in bottom of large muffin cup pan (or individual mini pie dish) Fill with your pie filling of choice, Cover each of the filled pie with a round of dough. Fold under the excess dough (if doing a single crust pie) and, using your thumb, decoratively flute the edges.  If doing a double crust pie, Crimp the top and bottom edges together with a fork.
     Using a paring knife, cut a few slits in the crust.  Refrigerate the pies until the dough is firm, 20 to 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 425°F.

Bake the pies for 12 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake until the crust is golden and the filling is thick and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes more. Transfer the pies to a wire rack and let cool completely. Serve the pies at room temperature.


Dough Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Pie & Tart,
by Carolyn Beth Weil (Simon & Schuster, 2003).
Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home