Grands Little Fruit Pies Food

GRANDS LITTLE FRUIT PIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon.
• With pastry blender or fork cut in butter or margarine until mixture coarse crumbs.
• Separate dough into 8 pieces; split each biscuit in half.
• With floured fingers, flatten each biscuit to form 4" round.
• Press each biscuit in ungresed 2-3/4 x 4 x 1-/4" muffin cup.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons pie filling into each biscuit-lined cup.
• Sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons flour mixture (cups will be full).
• Bake for 15-22 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool 5 minutes.
• Remove from muffin cups; place on wire rack, cool for 10 minutes.
• In a small bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
• Top each serving with dollop of whiiping cream; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
• Store in refrigerator.

MINI CHERRY PIES

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the shortening and 1 stick butter; pulse until the flour looks like coarse meal. Add the remaining butter and pulse until it is in pea-size pieces. Add the egg yolk and 6 tablespoons ice water; pulse until the dough just begins to clump, adding up to 2 more tablespoons water if needed. Transfer the dough to a large sheet of plastic wrap and gather into a 2-by-12-inch log. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Put a baking sheet on the middle oven rack and preheat to 400 degrees F. Make the filling: Combine the cherries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and juice, and almond extract in a large bowl; toss until the sugar is dissolved and the cherries are coated. Set the filling aside.
• Cut the dough in half; cut one half into 6 pieces (keep the other half refrigerated). Roll each piece into a 6-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease each round into a 5-inch pie plate, letting the excess dough hang over the edge. Evenly divide the filling among the bottom crusts (the pies will be full).
• Remove the remaining dough from the refrigerator and use to make the top crusts (see options below); assemble the pies. Brush the top crusts with the beaten egg and sprinkle generously with coarse sugar. Refrigerate the pies until firm, about 30 minutes. Put the pies on the hot baking sheet in the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake until the crusts are golden and the fruit is bubbling, 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.