mini pies

The Gazette celebrated this wonderful event last year with everyone bringing in their favorite pie to share. There was talk of doing this again this year, but then everyone had their annual health screenings and treat days became a bad idea.

I still felt the need to celebrate, but on a smaller scale. A miniature scale, actually.

Using my miniature muffin tins, I made two dozen miniature blueberry pies. It’s the perfect bite-sized treat – all of the taste with minimal guilt.

MINI BLUEBERRY PIES

• 3 cups blueberries
• 1/4 sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Egg wash for brushing pie crusts
• Pie crust (I used ready-made as this was a whim, but your favorite pie crust recipe will work, too)

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease two 12-cup miniature muffin tins with cooking spray.

Combine the berries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, rose water, lemon zest and lemon juice in a large bowl.

Roll out the pie crust to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Using a 4 inch round or scalloped edge cutter, cut 24 crusts. Re-form and re-roll dough as necessary. Carefully shape the crusts into the wells of the muffin tin, crimping the edges with your fingers.

Fill each mini pie to the brim with the blueberry mixture. Top each pie with a decorative mini cut out if desired.

With a pastry brush, lightly brush the pie crusts with egg and then sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, until the crusts are golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes in the muffin tin, then carefully remove the pies from the pan and place on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Serve, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Source: Recipe adapted from suziesweettooth.com