Fabulous Mini Cherry Pies from Adventuress Heart

If pies are the new cupcake then these mini cherry pies can rival any 
cupcakes in the cuteness category and they're 100% home-made and so delicious!

Start with the Pate Brisee (click on apple marzipan link for recipe), this was half of the recipe I used for the apple marzipan galette, I froze it so all I had to do was thaw it overnight in the fridge!

Martha Stewart Living, December/January 1996/1997

Yield: Makes one double-crust or two single-crust 9-inch pies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small

1/4 cup ice water, plus more if needed

Directions:

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. (To mix by hand, combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry blender.)

With machine running, add ice water through feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of dough together; if it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Turn out dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

With the last of the season cherries I picked up the rest was easy, pitting was the most fun using the cool technique I learned recently and used on my cherry dumplings here. 

I think this is probably one of the most useful and exciting tips I've ever learned because before this I would avoid cherries, using a parring knife to peel the flesh around the pit was not fun at all!

These cherries go into a pot after pitting and I add a bit of sugar to sweeten and a squeeze of lemon to balance things out then it boils for 12 mins or so on medium low and once they are soft enough to squish with a spoon I thicken with a little mix of half a tbsp of cornstarch and a few drops of water and the cherry mixture begins to thicken I take it off the heat and let it cool.

Ok so these little pies were made right in the cupcake pan.. no greasing or anything required. Just cut the dough and put it straight in.

The filling should be cool of course and you can begin your assembly creating any type of design you like. Here I made three different designs ...

Use some eggwash to create a nice sheen on the little pies before baking..

Bake between 350 and 375 for 30 mins or so until the pastry is crispy and browned.

Shared from:www.adventuressheart.com