Individual Cherry Pies

A short and sweet post for individual cherry pies. These take no time at all to prepare if you opt for store-bought crust and canned pie filling. If you would rather go the "from scratch" route, then simply prepare your favorite pie crust (enough for a double crust) and approximately 2 cups of your preferred pie filling.

This recipe makes 8 small pies. Perfect for a sweet summer dessert. I like to top mine with vanilla bean ice cream but whipped cream would be amazing too!

Without further ado, let's get baking!

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

Enough pie dough for 2 crusts - store bought or homemade
Your preferred pie filling . Approx. 2 cups worth. I used homemade cherry pie filling created with a recipe from Gesine Prado-Bullock's book Confections of a Closet Master Baker
1-2 tablespoons milk or light cream
Turbinado sugar for sprinkling

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
HAVE a muffin pan ready to go - ungreased

ROLL out your crusts as you would for regular pies. Using a round cookie/biscuit cutter with a 5" diameter ( I used a glass dessert bowl), cut out 16 rounds.
FILL 8 liners with crusts ensuring there is a bit of crust overlapping the top of the muffin cups
FILL 3/4 full with pie filling
PLACE remaining crusts over top of filling
CRIMP down edges so top and bottom crusts are well sealed
CUT small slits in tops to let out steam as they bake
BRUSH milk or cream over tops of crusts
SPRINKLE with turbinado sugar
BAKE 30-35 minutes until crusts are golden brown

LET COOL in pan 5 minutes
REMOVE pies to cooling rack
SERVE warm or at room temperature

ENJOY!

Cherry Almond Custard Tart

Sauntering through the produce section at the local grocery store I spotted a bin filled with giant deep red sweet cherries. I couldn't resist and headed home with my purchase in tow but with no idea how I was going to use them in my next baking creation. I didn't want to go down the road of the standard cherry pie and a cherry crisp, though intriguing, just wasn't cutting it either. I love almonds and cherries together - their tastes are so complimentary of each other and make a wonderful dessert when combined. I also love the idea of a custard but wasn't sure clafoutis was exactly what I was looking for at the time.

Finally, I found the perfect recipe. A cherry almond custard tart! The crust has the consistency and taste of lovely shortbread. The filling: sweet cherries sitting in a rich and creamy dense custard. The common theme in all parts of this tart is almond flour. You use it in the crust, custard and sprinkled on top of those gorgeous cherries right before baking.

Serve up a slice with a dollop of whipped cream and you may actually think you have died and gone to heaven!

LET'S GET STARTED

My preferred extracts: Organic and top quality



1 lb pitted and ready for use !



Prepared tart ready for the oven

RECIPE:
adapted from Patricia Wells At Home in Provence

WHAT YOU NEED

CRUST

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted & cooled
1/2 cup fine granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons blanched almond flour
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

FILLING

5 tablespoons heavy cream (35%)
1 large egg lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup fine granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 tablespoons blanched almond flour for filling
2 tablespoons blanched almond flour to sprinkle on crust


TOPPING

1 lb pitted sweet cherries
2 tablespoons blanched almond flour

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
GREASE SIDES AND BOTTOM of a 9" tart pan with removable bottom
IN MEDIUM BOWL, whisk together all crust ingredients except flour
SLOWLY add flour stirring until combined with wooden spoon or rubber spatula
PRESS into tart pan ensuring tart crust reaches all areas of the insides of pan
BAKE 10 minutes
SET ON BAKING RACK and leave oven heated at 350F

IN LARGE BOWL, whisk together all custard ingredients
SPRINKLE 2 tablespoons of almond flour on par-baked crust
POUR custard filling over crust
TOP with cherries
SPRINKLE 2 tablespoons almond flour over cherries

BAKE 45 MINUTES until golden and custard is firm when touched.

PLACE tart pan on cooling rack and let rest still ready to serve.

TO REMOVE, simply push removable bottom upwards so tart pulls away from sides of pan.

ENJOY!

Also seen here:

Lemon Tart

This lovely and decadent treat starts out with a sweet and crumbly shortbread crust. The filling is tart but creamy at the same time thanks to the addition of cream cheese. The finishing touch of piped whipped cream is its crowning glory. A wonderful to way to end a meal!

LET'S GET STARTED

Getting ready for juicing!



Ready for the oven

RECIPE:

Source: Bon Appetit Magazine

WHAT YOU NEED

CRUST

1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup icing sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter

FILLING

5 ounces cream cheese at room temperature.
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (two medium sized lemons will do)
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING

1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar
1 package of Whip It (whipped cream stabilizer)

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 425F
GREASE 8-9" tart pan with removal bottom*.
*I use a cooking spray and grease sides and bottom thoroughly
SIFT together first 3 dry ingredients into a medium bowl
GRATE butter with wide side of grater and add to dry mixture
MIX with a fork until crust holds its shape - you should be able to form it into a crumbly ball
PRESS dough into tart pan so it covers the bottom evenly and rises up to meet the edge of the pan
PRICK bottom of crust with a fork in several areas
PLACE tart pan on a cookie sheet
BAKE for 15 minutes, middle rack
ALLOW TO COOL on a cooling rack while you make the filling

REDUCE oven temperature to 350F
BLEND cream cheese with electric hand mixer until smooth and creamy
ADD SUGAR and lemon juice. Mix until combined
ADD eggs, one at a time, blending until well combined
STIR in lemon zest
POUR filling into cooled crust
BAKE 25-30 minutes, filling should be set in the middle
ALLOW TO COOL on cooling rack

IN STEEL BOWL, combine whipping cream, sugar and Whip It.
WITH ELECTRIC HAND MIXER, mix on high speed til stiff peaks form
SPOON whipped cream into piping bag and pipe with whatever tip you like.

NOTE: ONLY PIPE ON A COOLED PIE