Cute Mini Pies: Apple and Cherry

MMMMMM..... Fresh pie. Who doesn't enjoy homemade pie! Especially when they are right out of the oven.

My goal for this Instructable was to make a small, 1-2 person pie. This was an experiment of mine that turned out to be a great success. I used fresh sweet cherries off my neighbor’s tree (I got permission first) and Granny Smith apples from the store. I lacked the motivation to make my own dough, so I used the store bought solution. This recipe makes 4 mini pies.



 

I will address the recipe in 3 parts: first the cherry filling, then the apple, and finally pie making process. Please note that this is the original recipe, rather than one that was divided by 5. Now, please preheat the oven to 375°F

Baking Items
4 mini oven-proof ceramic cups (Ramekins)
various measuring cups
2 Bowls
spatula
oven
knife/cherry pitter


1 9 inch pie crust

Cherry Filling:
1 cup of cherries (I chose to use sweet cherries, but if you use sour, add more sugar.)
2.5 tablespoons of sugar
2 teaspoons of cornstarch
1.5 teaspoons of water
0.5 of a teaspoon of lemon juice
A drop of almond extract

Optional items:
1-2 drops of red food coloring
1 egg white to glaze the top

If not done so already, you should pit the cherries. Since i do not own a gadget to help me, I ended up using a small sharp knife. After you are done, your cutting board, hands, and items around you will look like they came out of a Jason flick!

When you are done pitting the cherries, move them to a medium sized bowl. Next you will need to mix in the cornstarch and sugar. Then add water, lemon juice, almond extract, and food coloring (if you are using any).
Set aside when finished.

Apple Filling
1 ¾ cups of sliced, peeled Granny Smith apples (about an apple and a half)
1.5 teaspoons of lemon juice 
3 tablespoons of white sugar
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour 
¼ of a teaspoon of ground cinnamon 
A pinch of ground nutmeg

The first thing you need to do is to peel the green apples, if you haven't already. You will want to slice them all around the same size so they cook evenly. I made them roughly a little less than an inch tall and a little less than a centimeter wide.

Next toss the lemon juice and apple bits together. In another bowl combine the sugars, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to apples and stir well.
Set aside

 

The first thing you want to do is put the pan down on the dough and cut around it. Then fold the dough so it fits in a circle.

Blind baking is baking a pie base partially before adding the ingredients. It is used to harden the base before putting in the filling. It is not necessary for this recipe; it barely affected the pies, if at all. You do this by lining the container with parchment paper or foil and adding rice or beans to keep it in place.  You will want to cook it at 375°F for 10-15 minutes. Like I said you don't have to do this step.

Once the blind baking is done, you will want to remove the parchment paper and rice, and then add the filling. You must have the same amount of fruit in each cup, or else they will not cook evenly. Make sure to get the juices into the pans. When the fruit is in, you will want to line the top like a grid with strips. Or, if you have enough dough, you could cover the whole top. 

Put the soon-to-be-pies into the oven, at 375°F for around 20 minutes, or until light brown.

EAT!!!!
This is best served hot, with vanilla ice cream. Next time i try this will definitely make more because these were gone within the day.

I hope you will enjoy these as much as I did. =D