Mini Pies
The Mini Pie Trial
So! Richard and I have a sort of tradition of buying and eating pies on Pi Day (March 14). This year I thought it would be cute if he and I could bring mini pies into work, each of different flavors and types, for our coworkers to eat. It’s work, but it means everyone can eat their favorite pie instead of only having one to choose from! So today I did the “trial” pies. They may have been a bit overcooked, but they turned out really wonderful.
Want the recipe? No? Too bad.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare your supplies:
Pillsbury readybake pie crust. They seem to come in a pack of two, which is okay, because you can only make about four pies with one.
Two circles (made of cups or tupperware, I suppose) - one large enough to make the pie “bowl” (the bottom crust) and one for the pie top. The star is for cutting a hole in the top (I later found out it was way too big).
Then, of course, your filling. You can either make it from scratch or be lazy like me and buy it. However, if you buy it, it’ll be too big for your small pies so be prepared to cut it into bits before filling the pies.
Note: You might have to use a rolling pin at some point (to reflatten the pie crust dough before cutting out the top circles), so acquire one of those. I don’t mind just using my palms, but some people do.
Step 1. Lay out the pie crust. The package says to let it thaw for 15 minutes first, so this step comes after that.
Step 2. Using the larger circle, cut out the pie bowls. You might be using a cookie cutter or other sharper thing; in which case, you can just cut the circles by pushing down, but I had to actually cut them.
Step 3. When you’re done making the circles, put them in the muffin cups. I underestimated the size of my muffin cups so they’re a little awkward, but you get the idea.
Step 4. Fill the pie.
Step 5. Cut out the smaller circles for the tops. You can be creative with the tops, like I was, but most pies seem to have a hole up there so I suggest doing that (I really don’t know why though, I didn’t do that much research about pie-making). Now, before you attach the tops, I suggest coating the edges of the pie bowls with a little bit of milk. It makes them gummy and sticky so when you put the tops on, they’re in place better. This keeps the tops from popping off in the oven.
Step 6. Bake for about 20 minutes. I checked in on them after 10 minutes, then every five minutes after that. Tempuratures vary, of course, so rely on the smell and how they look to see if they’re done. (”Golden brown” seems to be the general rule for these things.)
You’re done! Now you have some delicious minipies to devour. It’s quick and easy - between preparation and baking, it only takes about 45 minutes. Enjoy!
