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Muffin Tin Fruit Pies

Muffin Tin Fruit Pies
Casey Barber
Cook Time:
25 mins
Prep Time:
1 hr
Servings:
12
RATE THIS RECIPE
(42)

Ingredients

Homemade Crust
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons ice water
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar or vodka
Fruit Filling
  • 3 pints blueberries OR 1 pound ripe peaches OR 2 pounds tart, crisp apples (like Granny Smith or Braeburn) peeled, cored, and diced into rough 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Preparation

Muffin Tin Fruit Pies
Casey Barber

Make the crust: 

Pulse the flour, sugar and salt together in a food processor to sift and combine. Add the butter and pulse on and off in 3-second bursts until the fat is partially incorporated, with pea-sized chunks throughout, and the texture of the flour resembles moist cornmeal.

With the food processor running, drizzle 1/4 cup of the water and the vinegar through the feed tube just until a shaggy dough starts to form — add the remaining 2 tablespoons water if the dough is still dry and crumbly, but it may not be needed.

Turn the dough over into a clean mixing bowl and lay two sheets of plastic wrap on a clean work surface.

Divide the dough into two mounds on each sheet, pat into discs, wrap up, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Dough can be made up to 1 day in advance.

QUICK-FIX OPTION: Buy 2 packages of prepared pie dough rounds. Make the filling: 

Stir the diced fruit with the sugar, butter and cinnamon in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan until the butter melts. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes until the fruit is very soft. Whisk the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and add to the fruit. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes more until the liquid thickens and jells slightly. Let the filling cool for at least 15 minutes. MAKE-AHEAD: Filling can be made up to 3 days in advance. Refrigerate until ready to assemble. Assemble and bake:

Spritz the wells of a standard muffin tin with nonstick baking spray or grease with butter.

On a clean, lightly floured surface, roll one round of chilled homemade dough into a rough 12- by 14-inch rectangle. Cut 12 rounds out of the homemade dough with a 4 1/2-inch round cookie cutter or a clean deli container lid (if you don't have a cookie cutter that size), rerolling the scraps once to get all 12 rounds. OR gently flatten the edges of a storebought pie dough disc with a rolling pin and cut 6 rounds out of the storebought dough, repeating with the second dough round in the package to get 12 total rounds. Gently press the dough rounds into the greased muffin wells. Make sure the dough comes up over the edges of each muffin well, as it will shrink and sink as it bakes. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out the remaining dough rounds as instructed above. Cut 12 rounds out of the dough with a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter. Fill each well with 2 tablespoons filling, then top with the small dough rounds, pressing gently around the edges to adhere to the bottom crust. Cut small slits in the tops of each to vent escaping steam. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the pies cool in the muffin tin for 15-20 minutes (until cool enough to handle), then slide a knife around the edges of each pie to loosen and gently pry out of the wells. Serve immediately or at room temperature. Cooled pies can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.