I was listening to Radio From Hell one morning, you know, like you do, and they were talking about pie once again. Bill said, "You know, if they could make bite-size pie, something you could easily pick up and pop into your mouth, that would be perfect."
Genius...
There are times you want just a little taste of pie, and sometimes you don't have plates, knives, forks, pie servers, etc.. So why not create a finger freindly version, bite size so you can have as much or as little as you want... You could make a number of different flavors in one sitting and let your guests sample all types of pies.
So my savantish mind started wracking itself to come up with the best medium for mini-piedom. And after the smoke cleared, I had two ideas.
First, what about a mini pie, or a pie-bite? My wife made a batch of mini-cupcakes for a party. They were no more than two inches wide and slathered in frosting. Just little bits of sugary goodness. Well, what if we created miniature pie shells, then filled them with our cream pie recipe and whipping cream? The resulting treat would be tiny enough to pick up and pop in your mouth, yet have all of the pie deliciousness? That may work.
Second, Pie Lollipops. I saw the imfamous cake ball (a recipe I will be posting about soon). Very simple. Take cooked cake, crumble it up, mix in either frosting or cream cheese and squish it into a ball. Then stab a large sucker stick into it, dip it into chocolate and let it harden. So, what if we did a little pie, stuck a stick into it and then cook it so the crust seals itself to the stick? Definitely possible... and another post coming soon
So I decided to attempt the mini-pies first and I am proud to report that they were a rousing success. I brought them to a family event and they were devoured quickly.
So here are step-by-step instructions on how to create them on your own...
Miniature Pies or Pie Bites
Creates 24 miniature pies
Two pie crusts, uncooked (get my recipe here)
One half-batch of my cream pie recipe
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3/8 cup heavy whipping cream
3/8 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 egg yolks
1 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
Roll out each batch of pie crust a little larger and thinner than normal, about a 9"x11" rectangle. Using a 2 1/2 to 3 inch round cookie cutter, or biscuit cutter, or a dinner glass, or a kid's tumbler, whatever's close to that size, cut out small pie crust rounds. Place each crust into the molds of an ungreased minature cupcake sheet (should have 24 sections on a standard cookie-sheet size tray) and press the crusts securely against all sides. trim off any excess so each crust is almost level with the top of each cup. Using a small fork or knife, poke a few shallow holes (not all the way through) in each of the crusts. These perforations will prevent the crust from bubbling up. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 14-18 minutes or until the tops of the crusts are just starting to turn a very light brown.
As they cool, begin to make the cream pie filling. Place the egg yolks into a small container, mix them up and set aside for the time being. In a medium saucepan, thoroughly combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add the milk and cream and whisk until the sugar and cornstarch lumps are gone. Cook over medium heat and stir constantly to prevent scorching. Once the mixture starts thickening (about 8-10 minutes), scoop a small amount of the mixture into the egg yolks and immediately start stirring the yolks. (Tricky part, continue to stir the other mixture too so it does not burn). Do this a few times so the yolks slowly warm up. This will prevent them from curdling when they are added to the main mixture. Now add the yolks into the saucepan very slowly, stirring the entire time. Once added, pour in the butter and cook for two more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Now comes the flavoring... If you decide to make them all the same flavor, then just add the flavoring into the pan and mix it into the creamy goodness. You can also divide the batch into 1/2 or 1/4 as you finish cooking. If you decide to go this route, which I recommend so you can offer up more flavors, place an equal amount of the filling into two or four bowls and add either 1/2 or 1/4 of the flavorings listed below respectively. (By the way, you will most likely have some filling left over... think of the snack as a reward for your hard work)
Chocolate Cream Pie – Place the mixture back into the pan and add 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips or 3 oz of your favorite high-end chocolate and stir the mixture until completely melted. Scoop the blended mix into the shells.
Coconut Cream Pie – Add 1/2 cup of coconut and mix well. Scoop into the shells.
Banana Cream Pie – Add nothing to the batter, but cut some of a banana into small slivers and lay them into the bottoms of the pie shells. Scoop the filling on top of it to fill the shells.
Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry or Blueberry Cream Pie – 1/4 cup of crushed fruit and mix thoroughly. Scoop the blended filling into the shells.
German Chocolate Pie – Add 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1/2 cup of coconut and 1/8 cup finely chopped pecans. Also, cut a caramel into the very small pieces and place into the bottom of the shells. Scoop the hot filling into the crusts and the heat should melt the caramel.
Peanut Butter Pie – Add 1/2 cup of creamy or chucky peanut butter. MAKE SURE so stir in the peanut butter as soon as possible so it blends well.
Chocolate Raspberry - Slice a raspberry in half and place it in the bottom of the shell. Pour the Chocolate Cream Pie filling on top of it.
Chocolate Peanut Butter - Using a knife, chop up some chocolate chips and cover the bottoms of the shells with the shavings. Use as much as you like. Pour the Peanut Better Pie filling into the shells while it is still hot so the chocolate will melt.
You can also use any fruit cooked over the stovetop with some sugar to create a glaze. Be it raspberries, strawberries, apples, blackberries, blueberries, etc., it'll be great. Use whatever you want.
Once they are all assembled, cover the tray in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least two hours.
Now you can garnish them any way you'd like, but I always recommend a little whipped cream. Also, placing some small marker on the top of the whipping cream will indenity which pie is which. I did this on the fly in 15 seconds with a can of whipped cream and chocolate chips, peanut butter chocolate chips and some leftover coconut. If you have the time, decorate them any way you'd like.
And if you REALLY want to get fancy, you can get one of the mini-cupcake racks that you see in the picture above to display them. My wife bought one for a bridal shower, but it works great with these mini-pies.
So try making a batch of these pie bites for any social gathering. Not only will you be offering a great dessert, but they are a conversation piece. You'll score a few culinary brownie points with those who partake.
As for the pies-on-a-stick, that's for another day...
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