Small Pumpkin Pie Food

PUMPKIN PIE FOR TWO

Steps:

• For the crust: Put a small baking sheet on a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 375 degrees F. Process the flour, butter, granulated and confectioners' sugars and salt in a food processor until the mixture resembles wet crumbs and holds together when squeezed in your palm, about 2 minutes (this takes longer than seems necessary, but be patient). Divide the mixture evenly between two 5-inch aluminum pie pans or pie tins. Press the dough very firmly into the bottoms and up the sides, making sure to press it into the corners very well. Smooth and flatten the tops with your fingers or the back of a small spoon.
• Bake the crusts on the hot baking sheet until the bottom and sides are golden brown (probably more in some spots than in others), about 12 minutes. Let cool completely on a cooling rack.
• For the filling: Whisk together the eggs, cream, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and allspice in a medium bowl. Whisk in the pumpkin puree and then the melted butter.
• Put the filling in the pie shells. Bake until puffed and the centers still look slightly wet but not loose, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before serving.
• For the lightly sweetened whipped cream: Put the cream, sugar and vanilla in a well-chilled bowl or in a bowl over ice. Beat with a whisk by hand or an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute.
• Dollop each pie with some whipped cream and serve.

MINI PUMPKIN PIE BRULEES

Steps:

• 1.Heat the oven to 400°F. Spray 36 (1 1/2-inch) mini muffin-pan cups with vegetable cooking spray. Beat the egg yolks, pumpkin, heavy cream, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl with a fork or whisk. 2.Sprinkle the flour on the work surface. Unfold the pastry sheet on the work surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 12-inch square. Cut the pastry into 36 (2-inch) squares. Press the pastry squares into 36 (1 1/2-inch) mini muffin-pan cups. Spoon about 1 tablespoon pumpkin mixture into each pastry cup. 3.Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown and the filling is set. Let the pastries cool in the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove the pastries and let cool completely on the wire racks. 4.Place the oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Heat the oven to 450°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Create 18 (2-inch) circles of sugar on each baking sheet, using about 1/4 teaspoon sugar for each circle. 5.Bake one baking sheet for 5 minutes or until the sugar circles are bubbly and a deep caramel color. Let the sugar circles cool completely on the baking sheet on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining baking sheet. Using a small metal spatula, remove the sugar circles from the baking sheets. Press 1 sugar circle at an angle into the top of each pastry.

MINI PUMPKIN PIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Roll each pie crust out onto a floured surface to a rough rectangle about 11 inches square. Cut each pie crust into 12 3-inch rounds. Fit the little pie crust circles into 24 mini pie dishes.
• Separate one egg, and place the egg white into a small bowl. Beat the egg white until slightly frothy, and brush the edges of each mini pie crust with egg white. Place the remaining yolk into a bowl, and beat with remaining 2 eggs. Mix the softened cream cheese, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice into the eggs to make a smooth filling. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the filling into each crust.
• Bake the pies in the preheated oven until the crust edges are golden brown and the filling is set, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool before eating.

PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Make the dough by hand. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed with bean-sized bits of butter. (If the flour/butter mixture gets warm, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before proceeding.) Add the egg and stir the dough together with a fork or by hand in the bowl. If the dough is dry, sprinkle up to a tablespoon more of cold water over the mixture.
• Alternatively, make the dough in a food processor. With the machine fitted with the metal blade, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed with bean-sized bits of butter, about 10 times. Add the egg and pulse 1 to 2 times; don't let the dough form into a ball in the machine. (If the dough is very dry add up to a tablespoon more of cold water.) Remove the bowl from the machine, remove the blade, and bring the dough together by hand.
• Form the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough with a rolling pin into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan and trim the edges, leaving about an extra inch hanging over the edge. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself to form a thick edge that is even with the rim. Flute the edge as desired. Freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes.
• Set separate racks in the center and lower third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Put a piece of parchment paper or foil over the pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake on a baking sheet on the center rack until the dough is set, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift sides of the parchment paper to remove the beans. Continue baking until the pie shell is lightly golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Cool on a rack.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• While the pie shell is cooling make the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, half-and-half, spices, and salt until smooth. Return the pie shell to the baking sheet and pour in the filling.
• Bake on the lower oven rack until the edges of the filling are set but the center is still slightly loose, about 50 to 60 minutes. (If the edges get very dark, cover them with aluminum foil.) Cool on a rack. Serve room temperature or slightly warm.

MINI PUMPKIN PIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Place pie crusts on baking sheet. Mix Neufchatel, 1 Tbsp. sugar and 1 egg until blended; spoon into pie crusts.
• Mix pumpkin, spice, remaining sugar and egg until blended; spoon over Neufchatel layers in pie crusts. Sprinkle with nuts.
• Bake 40 min. or until centers are set. Cool completely. Serve topped with COOL WHIP.

PERSONAL-MINI PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• With 1/4 round measuring cup (or round cookie cutter that size), cut circles out of refrigerated pie crust. You should be able to get 18-20 small circles. Put these back in the refrigerator to keep chilled until pumpkin pie filling is ready.
• Add together all pie filling ingredients, and mix until well blended.
• Using a cupcake pan, line with paper cupcake/baking cups.
• Place a round of pie crust at the bottom of each cup, and press in firmly.
• Fill each cup with pumpkin pie filling, almost to the top.
• Bake for 25-35 minutes (depending on how full you fill the cups), or until outter edges are firm and inside jiggles slightly.
• Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes.
• Place entire pan in the freezer, and allow to harden.
• Once firm, use a spoon to pop mini pumpkin pies out of the pan.
• Remove paper, defrost, and enjoy your personal serving of pie!
• **You can choose to top your personal pie with fresh whipped cream, or chocolate shavings! Delicious! :).
• Keep in air tight container in the freezer, and then they're ready to eat when you've got that pumpkin pie craving!

MINI PUMPKIN PIES

Steps:

• Roll out pastry dough to 1/4 inch thickness.
• Cut out 2-1/2" circles from the dough.
• You should have 15.
• Place each circle in a muffin cup and push in to fit pan.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, beat together pumpkin, sugar, milk, egg and vanilla.
• Add the pudding mix and beat until blended.
• It will thicken nicely.
• Add spices.
• Stir to combine.
• Fill pastry crusts evenly.
• Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes.
• Cool on rack.
• When cool, you can place in a rigid freezer container with layers of waxed paper in between.
• Freeze until needed.
• You can thaw these in the refrigerator or put in the microwave for about 1 minute.
• This depends on the wattage of your micro.
• If you want to add meringue, first mix together the cornstarch and cold water.
• Add to 1/2 cup boiling water.
• Cook over low heat until it thickens.
• Set aside to cool.
• Beat egg whites, dash of salt, and sugar until stiff.
• Add cooled cornstarch mixture to beaten egg white mixture.
• Put on pie, making sure it covers the edges well.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.