Author: Mariann

Ingredients

you will need 1 single crust, unbaked, pie shell

Filling

4 c cranberries, fresh or frozen

1/2 c confectioners sugar

2 T lemon juice

¼ t salt

1 T lemon zest

Lemon Curd

6 T butter – unsalted, softened at room temperature

1 c sugar

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

2/3 c fresh lemon juice

1 t grated lemon zest

Meringue

4 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 cup sugar

Process

Preheat oven to 425

Filling

In a medium bowl combine the filling ingredients

Transfer the filling to the unbaked pie shell and bake for 15 minutes.

Reduce temperature to 350 and continue to bake 30 minutes until filling is bubbling and crust is golden

Curd

In a medium saucepan, on low heat, whisk together the sugar and lemon juice.

Quickly begin to whisk in the eggs, one at a time, as the mixture continues to heat (take care that the eggs are added before the mixture becomes too hot so as to not cook the eggs)

Once all the eggs are incorporated increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes.

The mixture should not boil.

Begin adding the butter a single tablespoon at a time as it incorporates to the mixture.

Remove the curd from the heat; stir in the lemon zest.

Place a small screen strainer over a bowl and pour the curd into the strainer stirring with a rubber scraper to separate the solids.

Press plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming.

Allow the curd to set until it is cool enough to top the cranberry filling.

Meringue

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In the CLEAN bowl of stand mixer whip the egg whites to glossy and smooth

Add the cream of tartar

While continuing to beat the egg whites add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until the sugar is incorporated.

Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Spread or pipe meringue on top of pie

Bake until top is golden, about 7 – 10 minutes.

Recently when traveling I picked up a copy of Southern Living Magazine -attracted by the cover photo of mini pies. Given the potential for smaller numbers at the Holiday Table this year I was intrigued by ideas for managing our food options. We will be sharing our holidays this year only with our adult daughter so the menu will be nothing traditional. We will have some pumpkin pie paired with a brined/spatchcocked turkey, potato galette, fresh cranberry coulis, cornbread dressing and a vegetable – looking to be roasted carrots at this point. Everything but the turkey will be vegetarian as that comports with our daughter’s vegetarian diet. Everything gluten-free as they suits my dietary needs! Here’s the pie! Keep posted for more recipes! And Happy Thanksgiving All!

PUMPKIN PIE MINIS

You will need: prepared piecrust (I used the Minus-G mix), a large round cookie cutter – approx. 3.5 to 4 inches, large parchment style muffin papers, muffin baking pan, bowl for the filling…….

16 oz pumpkin (I used fresh pumpkin – roasted and pureed)

1/3* – 1/2 c dark brown sugar

*I found the 1/2 c combined with the granulated sugar to be a bit too sweet for my taste so am amending the measure to decrease the amount of brown sugar to 1/3 c

1/4 c granulated sugar

2/3 c heavy cream

3 eggs

1/2 t salt

2 t cinnamon

dash of allspice**

dash of ground cloves**

**alternatively you can use pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg – personally I do not like either so hence the allspice and cloves**

In the filling bowl combine the pumpkin puree, sugars, cream, eggs, salt, cinnamon, allspice and clove.

Whisk to blend well and set aside.

Roll the dough and cut round disks with the cookie cutter.

Place a disk of dough on the center of the muffin paper and work it to create a well with sides of dough.

Fit the pastry filled muffin paper into a well of a standard sized muffin baking pan working to fill all the wells of the pan.

Measure some of the filling into a glass measuring cup for easy pouring and fill the pastry lined muffin papers with the pumpkin filling.

You will have enough dough and enough filling to fill 24 muffin wells and possibly enough to bake off some filling without pastry – I got three 4 inch cake pan fulls. Butter the cake pans and use the rest of the filling to bake off crustless pumpkin ‘pies’.

Bake about 11 minutes, turn pan and bake an additional 9 – 11 minutes.

Use a knife to test filling for doneness – filling should separate without running back together.

By baking the minis you can freeze the pies for eating over the next few weeks.

One thing I really like to use to top off a pumpkin pie is walnuts or pecans simmered in maple syrup (whole or chopped – let the nuts cool before topping) and use fresh whipped cream sweetened with a bit of sugar or maple syrup and with a bit of vanilla!