Spiced Custard Mini 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:

• Roll out piecrust to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Roughly cut into twelve 5 1/2-inch squares, and fit into alternating cups of 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins, folding dough to fit and letting excess hang over edge. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Generously brush edges with beaten egg, and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line pie shells with parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges of shells are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove weights and parchment, and bake until bottom of shells are golden, about 20 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Whisk together granulated sugar, spices, and salt. Add egg yolks, and whisk to combine. Heat cream and milk until almost boiling, then gradually whisk into egg-yolk mixture. Pour custard through a fine sieve, then divide among shells.
• Bake pies until custard is just set but still slightly wobbly in center, about 25 minutes (filling will continue to set as it cools). Let pies cool completely on wire rack, then remove from tins. Before serving, top with whipped cream and nutmeg.

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter and pulse until coarse, pea-sized crumbs appear. With the machine running, add 2 tablespoons ice water and sesame seeds and process until the dough just holds together. Squeeze a small amount of dough between your fingers and if it is very crumbly, pulse in another tablespoon of ice water. Do not overprocess.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and push together into a rough ball. Knead a few times just to combine and flatten into a flat disc. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour (or up to overnight).
• When ready to bake pie, combine half-and-half with 1/3 cup sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, ,stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Cover and steep the mixture for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F with rack in lower third of oven. Place a foil-lined baking sheet in the oven. On a floured surface, roll out dough into a 13-inch round. Line the pie pan with the dough. Trim, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang around the pan. Tuck the overhanging dough under and crimp as desired. Transfer pie dish to the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Line the dough with a piece of foil and top with pie weights or beans. Place the pie pan on the preheated baking sheet and bake until the edges are lightly golden, 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake until crust is light gold in color, 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove pie dish from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool at least 10 minutes, leaving foil-lined baking sheet in the oven. Lower oven temperature to 350°F.
• In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture forms pale yellow ribbons, about 2 minutes. Rub a small amount of the egg mixture in between your fingers to check for any undissolved sugar. If any remains, continue beating the mixture for a bit longer. Gradually whisk 1/2 cup warm cream mixture into the egg mixture to gently warm (or temper) the eggs. Continue to gradually whisk in remaining half-and-half mixture into egg mixture until completely combined. Whisk in vanilla. Place the pie pan on the baking sheet in the oven and strain custard into the cooled pie crust (do not overfill.) Bake until the center is just set, 55 to 65 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool to room temperature. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (and up to 2 days ahead).
• If you'd like to create a burnt-sugar crust, sprinkle remaining tablespoon sugar evenly over top of tart just before serving. Light blowtorch and move flame evenly back and forth just above top of tart, avoiding crust, until sugar is caramelized and slightly browned (be careful not to burn sugar). Let tart stand 5 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put a baking sheet in the oven on the middle shelf.
• Cut the butter into small cubes. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt.
• Tip the butter into the flour and use your fingers to rub the two together until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Stir in 2 tbsp of the sugar. Scoop a heaped half cup (85g) of the crumbs into a smaller bowl and set aside.
• Have two small bowls ready. Crack the egg on the side of one bowl, then carefully pull the shell apart in two halves, letting the yolk nestle into one side. Let the white drain away from the yolk into one bowl and put the yolk into the other bowl.
• Beat the egg yolk with a fork, then add it to the bigger bowl of butter and flour mix. Use a cutlery knife to stir the yolk into the crumbs.
• Put your hand in the bowl and squeeze the crumbs together to make a ball. Knead the pastry a few times until smooth.
• Sprinkle some flour over your work surface. Sprinkle a little more over the pastry and roll it out to the thickness of two £1 coins.
• Stamp the pastry with an 8cm cutter, re-rolling the trimmings to make 12 rounds.
• Gently push the rounds of pastry into the bun tin. Spoon 1 heaped tsp of the custard into each pastry case, followed by the mincemeat on top.
• Add the final 1 tbsp sugar to the smaller bowl of crumb mix. Pinch it together to make bigger clumps and mound it on top of the mincemeat.
• Slide the bun tin on top of the baking sheet and bake for 15 mins until golden brown and the custard and mincemeat are starting to bubble.
• Cool in the tin for 15 mins, then carefully lift the pies onto a rack and leave to cool. Will keep for 2 days in an airtight tin.