Ok, this one is a bit late, but it can totally be made for Christmas too! Served as an appetizer or dessert (I prefer desert) this baby is a great addition to a traditional holiday spread. Download the recipe card here for keeps.
Using root veggies, create perfect little-teenie-weenie-individual pies and put a special message on the top for an added bit of cuteness!
This weeks amazing images are by Vince Perretti, a great friend and fantastic photographer. He drank the maple whiskey while I baked the pies with maple and all was right in the world. Check him out here.
RECIPE BELOW, GET BAKING!
Yields 12-14 mini pies cooked in standard cupcake pans
FOR THE DOUGH /
2 ½ cups flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, very cold
Everything I know about dough I learned from Smitten Kitchen and I will not attempt to photograph and instruct you like she does, she's just too good! So go there, I'm just summing up what she did. Thanks lady!
DOUGH DIRECTIONS /
1 / Fill a one cup liquid measuring cup with water, and drop in a few ice cubes; set it aside.
2 / In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt.
3 / Dice two sticks of very cold unsalted butter into ½ inch pieces.
4 / Sprinkle the butter cubes over the flour and begin working them in with your hands. Redistribute the mixture as needed so all parts are worked evenly, really get in there with your hands. When all of the butter pieces are the size of tiny peas stop.
5 / Drizzle ½ cup of the ice-cold water (but not the cubes) over the butter and flour mixture. Using a rubber (silicon) spatula, gather the dough together. You’ll probably need an additional ¼ cup of cold water to bring it together, but add it a tablespoon as a time. Once you’re pulling large clumps with the spatula, take it out and get your hands in there. Gather the disparate damp clumps together into one mound, kneading them gently together.
6 / Divide the dough in half, and place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Let the dough chill in the fridge for one hour, but preferably at least two, before rolling it out.
FOR THE FILLING /
3 small golden beets
4 sweet potatos
1 parsnip*
4 carrots
2 tbsp. olive oil
6 tbsp. brown sugar
*you can use any root/fall veggies you want according to your taste
1 / Preheat oven to 400˚F. While oven is heating cut up the veggies. I cut them into different sizes, but make sure they are small enough to bite and fit in a small pie.
2 / Mix together diced beets, sweet potato, parsnip, and carrot and toss the veggies with olive oil, salt and 4 tablespoons brown sugar.
3 / Spread vegetables on a roasting pan or baking dish in a single layer and bake for 15 minutes.
4 / After the first 15 minutes toss and spread vegetables again in a single layer. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the vegetables are fully cooked.
ASSEMBLY /
Baking Spray
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 egg
6 tsp. cinnamon
6 tsp. brown sugar
1 / Roll out the chilled dough and using either a large circle cutter or glass (larger than the cavity of the cupcake pan) start cutting circles. *If you dough is getting warm from being out of the fridge, get it back in! Make sure the dough never heats too much, its is difficult to deal with and won’t bake as nicely.
2 / Spray the cupcake cavities well with baking spray and using your hands push the dough circles into each cavity, try to get out any air bubbles you see. Make sure the dough comes out of the cavity a bit so that you can get them out of the cupcake pan when they are done baking.
3 / Fill the pie cups with the cooked vegetables.
4 / Drizzle approximately 1 tbsp. of maple syrup and sprinkle ½ tsp. cinnamon on top of each pile of vegetables.
OPTIONAL STEPS /
5 / Roll out the remainder of the dough and cut out the decor (letters in my case).
(Yes, that is a beer in the image. What?! A woman needs a drink sometimes!)
6 / Place the cutouts on the filled pies. Apply a light egg wash to the top of each piece of decor and sprinkle the remainder cinnamon and brown sugar equally amongst the pies.
7 / Bake for 20 minutes or until puff pastry is flaky and slightly brown. Best served warm.
On a side note: I had a ton of extra veggies (I used ore than I instructed you to!)... what to do, what to do?! I grabbed the pancake mix in the cabinet and gave something a try, and it was a great success! Mix up the pancake mix as instructed. Spray down the cupcake pan reallllllly well. Fill the cupcake cavities about half way and toss some of the extra veggies in. Cook until they raise and puff up (I believe it was about 15 minutes). Serve with maple syrup. Can be stored, covered in the fridge for a few days, just microwave for a bit and serve for breakfast!
I wrote out "GIVE THANKS" and brought them along for Thanksgiving, but any decor or message will do! They were delish & beautiful & a perfect size!
Have you ever made mini pies? What other flavors should I try out?