For Easter this year, I got a hair-brained idea to do mini pies for dessert.
Sounds simple enough, right?
For the most part it really was. Take any of your favorite pie recipes and put them into mini pie tins. However, it’s the rolling, cutting and shaping of the regular pie crust times ten (or twelve). AND the pressing of your cookie crumb crust times ten (or twelve, again). For each pie. Somehow, my brain left this part out of the idea process and only pointed my fingers and bank account to Etsy to find mini pie tins. ‘Cuz how adorable are mini pies?!!? Am I right? Or am I right?
P.S. I’m totally right.
I had decided on four different pies because I’m glutton for punishment, I guess. Lemon Meringue, Key Lime, Grasshopper and French Silk. I specifically picked these pies since I could prepare the crusts and fillings the day before. Which would only leave me with making the meringue and whipped cream for the morning of Easter.
Now, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy making these. Were they putzy? Uh, yeah. Completely. And I wouldn’t suggest undertaking this unless you can prepare the pies a day ahead. But, they were so cute, it was worth it!
I made two batches of my favorite pie crust recipe from Martha Stewart. Each batch was enough for one double crust pie. I used about 3/4 of the dough (or the equivalent of 3 single crusts) which was enough to make two dozen 3″ pie crusts with a little extra. I actually had enough for about a half dozen pie crusts made in my jumbo cupcake tin. I took squares of aluminum foil and pressed them carefully into the tins once the dough was thoroughly chilled. I filled the foil lined tins with beans and baked them off. I made a graham cracker crust for the key lime and a chocolate cookie crust for the grasshopper. I find it important to note that when making mini pies, your crust to filling ratio is a little different. There will be more crust than filling. So for crusts like graham cracker and cookie, you will need to increase the amount of crackers/cookies and butter accordingly. These crusts were REALLY putzy. Making them took by far the longest.
I made all the fillings and filled crusts accordingly. Then tucked them all in the refrigerator. 48+ mini pies all nestled in for the night. The next morning I made the meringue for the Lemon Meringue and a crapload of whipped cream for the rest.
You’ll notice I have no pictures posted of the process up to now. Somehow, the thought never occurred to me to take a picture or two. I think in the back of my mind I wasn’t quite sure I could pull it off. So here is the lone picture I have.
I finally found a lemon meringue pie recipe that worked and was delicious. My favorite was the Key Lime. Tart and delicious. These were a hit with everyone. They look like a ton of work but really, if you plan it right, they’re a piece of pie! Ahahaha! Okay, I’m done now…
Ann