Until now.
(Inserting foot in mouth)
I now introduce you to the wonderful, the almighty, wish-they-had-little-cheeks-to-pinch they're so cute....
Drum roll please................plrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
(is that how you make the noise to drum?!?!?!?!?)
Mini Pie-In-A-Jar
Ta-dah!
Check these babies out! They are too cute! How could you not want to make these suckers. I got my inspiration from OurBestBites.com.
These are great as gifts and/or to eat yourself! And who's kidding who? You totally will eat them all yourself. I do.
To start, buy yourself some mini mason jars. You can use 4 oz or 8 oz jars. I used 4 oz jars because that was all I could find. Be sure to wash them before you use them.
Dry 'em and set aside.
Let's make some crust. Now, you can totally use store bought...I usually do.
This time I wanted to try a homemade crust.
Try it. You'll be surprised how flaky it is.
AND
It's yummy.
It's quick and easy.
1 1/4 c Flour
1/2 t Salt
1/3 c plus 1 T of butter flavored shortening
1/4 c Ice Water
Combine the flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Cut up the shortening into small cubes and add to flour mixture. Cut shortening in. (To cut shortening into the flour use a pastry blender. If you do not have a pastry blender, use two beaters. Push the butter "into" the flour mixture with the beaters.) Do this until the butter is about pea size.
Now, this is were you need to use restraint. About 1 T at a time, pour ice cold water into the dough. As little as possible, turn the dough with your fingers. Continue adding water 1 T at a time until the mixture is just barely wet. (You don't have to use all the water by the way.) The goal here is to handle the dough as little as possible; you're only trying to wet all the flour. Your dough should come together fairly easily but it should not be sticky(too sticky means too much water).
(If you won't be using your dough right away, roll it into a ball and wrap with saran wrap. Place in fridge until ready to use.)
Take a handful of dough and roll in out to 1/8 inch thickness. Then, take your mason jar lid and use it as a cookie cutter. These will be your pie tops.
Place aside. Now take little pieces of dough and press it against the bottom and side of your mason jars.
Place aside. Now it's time to decide what kind of pies you'd like to make. I chose apple, cherry, and mixed things up a bit with apple-cherry. You can make any kind you like! Simply make the pie filling like you normally would and then scoop it in the pies. Place a dab of butter on the top of each. Mmmmm.
Then get creative! Retrieve your pie tops and place them on your pies any way you choose.
Now you freeze 'em! This is what makes them great as gifts or as a make ahead dessert. Bake them at 350 for 40-45 minutes frozen, 30-35 minutes thawed.
Give 'em away or eat them=)
Hi Kristin,
I saw your comment on the Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen contest and clicked on over. I love your pies in a jar and have just one question which might make you "Call Me Dumb", but do you bake them right in the Mason jars? I'm pretty sure you do, but just want to double check rather than have an oven full of glass shards.
Could you please either answer here on your blog or email me at dorisandpete@hotmail.com. I'd really appreciate it because I'd love to make these for gifts next year.
Thanks,
Doris Hoffmann
my poor little blog is: http://silverthreads48.blogspot.com
and on Tasty Kitchen I am: mymarshmallowworld
Yes Doris, you bake them in the jars. But no worries...it is a little out of the norm! Thanks for visiting my blog! I'll check out yours!
Thanks so much for your reply, Kristin. I figured the jars could take the heat since you put them in a boiling water bath for canning, but wanted to be sure!
Happy Holidays.
Doris
I love this idea! You are by far the best desert chef I know!