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Mini Pumpkin Pies

By Sharon

Oct 06

When the pie pumpkins start appearing at the stores, it’s the time to grab them up and prepare for fall baking.

You can cook and sieve your pumpkin and pop it in the freezer until you’re ready to use it.  It’s  best to drain your cooked pumpkin in a colander lined with a tea towel to get all the excess water out.  You want a nice thick pumpkin paste.

It really is amazingly better than canned pumpkin.

Mini Pumpkin Pies
1recipes Mini Pie PastryRefrigerated
1cup fresh pumpkincooked and sieved
6ounces half and half
1/4teaspoon vanilla extractoptional
2large eggslightly beaten
1/3cup granulated sugar
1/2teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2teaspoon ground cloves
1/2teaspoon ground allspice
1/4teaspoon ground ginger
1/4teaspoon kosher salt
1large eggbeaten, for egg wash
1/4cup raw sugarto top pies
Here’s the easy part of this recipe. Use the medium bowl or your food processor, your stand mixer or a medium mixing bowl and hand mixer and pour all the ingredients in and mix them up. Now you have pie filling to use.
Now, flour a work surface and a surface to lay your cut circles on.  Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.  Or prepare a freezer container with a layer of parchment paper.
I got these great pie molds at the Williams-Sonoma Outlet store one day so it makes shaping a mini pie super easy.  The inside of the mold has a smooth side and  a crimped side with a pocket for the filling after you put your pie crust in.
The outside of the mold has cutting edges for cutting out the shape of the pie.  There are slots on one side to cut shapes, and vent holes for the top of the pie.  Make sure you flour this part of the mold really well for cutting your pie crust.  These pieces snap apart for cutting out your crust.
Roll your dough thin and cut equal numbers of the tops and bottoms of the crust.  Take them off the board and set them on the floured surface to the side until all dough is cut.
Now you’re ready to assemble the pies.  Snap the pieces of your pie mold back together so they’re hinged for pressing the pie together.  Flour the insides lightly to prevent the pressed pie sticking to the mold.  Beat your egg for the egg wash and set it by your mold.
Lay the bottom crust on the smooth side of the pie mold.  Don’t worry if it shrinks in slightly from the edge of the mold, it will press together fine if there’s still some up on the edge.  Brush the edge of the bottom crust with the egg wash.
Place a 2-ounce (2-tablespoons) scoop of filling in the middle of the bottom crust.
Lay the top crust (the side with the holes) over the top of the filled bottom and flip the crimped side of the pie mold over.  Press lightly to seal the edges.
Move the pressed pie to the baking sheet, or freezer container, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with raw sugar (the chunky sugar).  This is when you can freeze the ones you don’t want to bake right away.
For baking preheat the oven to  400°F/200°C/Gas Mark 6.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling looks firm and set.
Serve warm with ice cream or custard.
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