Individual Christmas Pies Recipes

Steps:

• For the pie crusts: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with baking spray.
• Unroll the pie crusts on a clean surface. Cut 6 circles from each crust (12 total) with a 3 1/2-inch plain-edged round cutter. Press a circle of dough into each of the 12 cups of the muffin pan, lightly pressing the dough up the sides (they will not reach the tops of the cups). These will be your pie crusts.
• Poke the bottom of 4 of the pie crusts with a fork and place cupcake liners into the poked crust cups only. Fill each liner with 2 tablespoons uncooked rice. Refrigerate the pan while you prepare the fillings.
• For the crumble topping: Mix together the flour, oats and brown sugar in a small bowl. Stir in the melted butter until well combined. Set aside until ready to use.
• For the fillings: Begin filling the dough cups. (The 4 cups with the cupcake liners filled with uncooked rice will remain that way during the bake and will be filled after the bake.) Mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt in a small bowl until well combined. Divide the cream cheese mixture between 2 of the empty dough cups. Divide the cherry pie filling between 2 of the remaining empty dough cups. Divide the blueberry pie filling between 2 of the remaining empty dough cups. Divide the grape jam between the remaining 2 empty dough cups.
• Mix half of the crumble topping with the lemon zest in a bowl. Divide the mixture over the top of the 2 pie dough cups filled with the blueberry pie filling to make blueberry lemon crumble pies. Mix the remaining crumble topping with the crushed peanuts in a bowl. Divide the mixture over the top of the 2 pie dough cups filled with the grape jam.
• Bake the pies: Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the crumbs on the 4 crumb-topped pies are golden, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
• Finish the pies: Remove the cupcake liners filled with rice from the 4 baked and unfilled crusts.
• For the strawberry cream pies: Toss the diced strawberries with the granulated sugar and a splash of vanilla in a small bowl. Divide the mixture between the 2 pies filled with the cream cheese mixture. Drizzle the pies with the caramel sauce.
• For the cherry pies: Divide the toasted almonds over the 2 pies filled with the cherry filling. Microwave the white chocolate and coconut oil together in a microwave-safe bowl for 15 seconds or until warm. Stir well, then drizzle evenly over the 2 pies. Top the center of each pie with a bit of whipped cream.
• For the PB and J pies: Microwave the peanut butter and coconut oil together in a microwave-safe bowl for 15 seconds or until warm. Stir well, then drizzle evenly over the 2 pies filled with the grape jam and peanut-crumble topping.
• For the lemon raspberry pies: Divide the lemon curd between 2 of the empty baked pie crusts. Top each pie with 3 raspberries. Dust each pie with a bit of powdered sugar and finish with a mint leaf.
• For the s'mores pies: Divide the hazelnut spread between the last 2 empty baked pie crusts. Mix the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter together in a small bowl. Sprinkle half of the mixture over each pie. Cut the marshmallow in half crosswise. Top each pie with one half of the marshmallow. Using a kitchen blowtorch (brulee torch), toast each piece of marshmallow to the desired level of toasted-ness.
• Transfer the pies to a cake stand or platter and enjoy!

Steps:

• Gently fry the leeks in the butter until softened. Add the mushrooms, mace and thyme, and turn up the heat a bit to soften the mushrooms and drive off any liquid that comes out of them. Stir in the potato for 2 mins, followed by the lentils, chestnuts and cream. Cook for 2 mins more, then take off the heat and stir in the 4 tbsp cranberries.
• To make the pastry, put the flour and suet in a food processor with 1 tsp salt. Whizz together until you can't see any big suet lumps, then keep pulsing while you add the milk, a spoon at a time, until the pastry comes together.
• Roll out a quarter of the pastry on a lightly floured surface, then use 4 individual pie dishes to cut 4 pastry lids - we used 4 x 250ml ramekins. Use a small star cutter to cut out a star from each lid, then keep stars and lids covered with cling film.
• Cut 4 strips of baking parchment and use a little butter to stick one in each pie dish, so the ends of the strips stick outeach side to help you remove the pies when baked. Gather lid scraps with the remaining pastry and divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll out each to £1 coin thickness and use to line each pie dish with an overhang. Divide the filling between the dishes. Top each with a lid, and roll down the overhang to meet the lid. Use a fork's prongs to press and seal edges. The pies can now be covered and chilled for up to 24 hrs before baking.
• To bake, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. Brush each pie with beaten egg and bake for 30 mins. Lift pies from dishes and sit directly onto a baking sheet. Mix 20 cranberries with the redcurrant jelly and divide between the star holes on top. Brush pastry stars with beaten egg, add a small thyme sprig to each, then add to the pie baking sheet and put back in the oven for 5-10 mins, until pies and stars are golden and crisp. Top each pie with a star and serve.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Heat 1 tbsp oil and the butter in a frying pan, then add the onion and fry for 5 mins until softened. Cool slightly. Tip the sausagemeat, lemon zest, breadcrumbs, apricots, chestnuts and thyme into a bowl. Add the onion and cranberries, and mix everything together with your hands, adding plenty of pepper and a little salt.
• Cut each chicken breast into three fillets lengthwise and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan, and fry the chicken fillets quickly until browned, about 6-8 mins.
• Roll out two-thirds of the pastry to line a 20-23cm springform or deep loose-based tart tin. Press in half the sausage mix and spread to level. Then add the chicken pieces in one layer and cover with the rest of the sausage. Press down lightly.
• Roll out the remaining pastry. Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg and cover with the pastry lid. Pinch the edges to seal, then trim. Brush the top of the pie with egg, then roll out the trimmings to make holly leaf shapes and berries. Decorate the pie and brush again with egg.
• Set the tin on a baking sheet and bake for 50-60 mins, then cool in the tin for 15 mins. Remove and leave to cool completely. Serve with a winter salad and pickles.