So I did give you a heads up on the amount of dough I have handled this month. Well, I just cannot stop! We are not even into proper cold months and I am on a baking overdrive. Mini pies are the order of the day. I think the real reason are the beautiful combination of fruits that are available at the moment. The last of the summer stone fruits and the fresh Autumn produce together make for the most delicious pie filling possibilities. There are plums and peaches. And there are apples and pears. And there is the beautiful Sydney autumn with bright sunny afternoons and a slight chill in the air. The best of both worlds in seasons and food.
School holidays have started today and my basket is loaded with mini pies as I prepare for a little picnic with the boys. Nothing fancy or far away. I’ve been eyeing an open stretch of greenery near my house for days with the hope of great weather and a holiday when we can just lie down on the grass and enjoy our moment together. That day is today!
These pies are wonderful. Sweet with an hint of cinnamon and you can obviously see how passionate I’ve been about the tops. I tell you, that’s a great way of having fun in the kitchen with the kids. There were all kinds of designs and cut outs. The best ones were the ones I didn’t photograph:-)
Plum And Pear Mini Pies
Makes 12-14
For the pastry (or you could use store bought shortcrust pastry)
21/2 cups plain flour
1/4 cup castor sugar
1/4 tsp salt
240 g unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
1/2 cup cold water
1 egg, for eggwash
raw sugar, for sprinkling
For The Filling
3-4 pears, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
4 plums, stone removed, roughly chopped
1/2 cup castor sugar (or as per taste)
1/2 tsp powdered cinnamon
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
In a large bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. You could do this in the processor or by hand. Add the butter and blend quickly so that the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the water, 1 tbsp at a time, until dough comes together. On a floured surface, knead the dough gently and shape it into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate (at least 30 minutes). Meanwhile make the filling.
Heat the pears and plums along with a tbsp of water in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Keep stirring occasionally until fruits are soft. Add the sugar and cinnamon. allow the mixture to simmer until you get a thick consistency along with chunks of fruit. Cool slightly (about 20 minutes). I usually make the filling the previous night.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Make the egg wash by lightly beating the egg in a small bowl with 1 tbsp of water. Take the dough out of the refrigerator. On a well floured surface, roll out the dough into a large circle and cut out circles using a cookie cutter for the bottom and tops. I used a 3.5 inch round cookie cutter. Place the bottoms on individual aluminium foil trays or muffin pans that has been greased well. Spoon 1 tbsp of the filling into the center of the pastry bottom. Lay the top pieces of pastry over the filling, bringing the edges together and sealing them. You can do so with your fingers or with a fork to form a pattern. Refrigerate. Reuse the balance dough to roll out and form more pastry tops and bottoms. You could cut out small flowers and shapes using cookie cutters to decorate your pies. For the lattice tops here is a tutorial. Brush the tops all over with egg-wash. Sprinkle with raw sugar.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
What a delicious fruit combo to fill these adorable little pies! I want to eat them all, and yet they look too beautiful to eat!!!
Thank you so much Tori:-)
YOU are on a roll!!!!!!
Sonali, what beautiful pictures as always, and these have GOT TO BE SO tasty. Your family is very lucky! Thank you for always making my day with such inspiring ideas for creating smiles and delicious memories.
Happy Friday my dear! Anita
Yessssss Anita! I am on a roll. it’s all about pie this Autumn:-) Thank you so much for your sweet words every time!
You being in baking overdrive is a very good thing and your family is very lucky, Sonali! These mini pies are just wonderful! I want to buy some! : ) Enjoy them for me…wish I could have a few.
I would send them all to you if I could Monica:-) Thank you so much for saying that!
I love pie, but I love mini pies the most. I think because then I can have the whole thing!
I agree! No sharing allowed with pies:-)
These are gorgeous, lovely choice on the filling and they are beautifully decorated; pies and tarts are some of my favourite things to bake as you can have fun and be creative with the decoration 🙂
Thank you o much for your kind words Hannah. And yes, I can’t agree more. Pies are such fun, craft like things.
Aww! Hope you had a wonderful day with your boys. 😊 Beautiful pies . Truth is you can turn anything into a delicious treat.
That’s such a lovely thing to say Ratna. Yes, we are having heaps of fun in the school holidays. Though at times it gets pretty exhausting. You know what I mean!
I so want to move close to you. The aroma from your house must be FANTASTIC, not to mention, I think I could, maybe, give you a ‘sad face’ so you will give me some of your baked goods, right? Love Love Love
I’ll give them ALL to you if I could. About moving closer, yes please!
These are just so freaking cute. I can’t stand it!
I’m glad you liked them. Thanks so much.
That is one fancy treat for a picnic. I am sure the kids would have such a fabulous time with it. Girl, you seriously make some of the best pies, so so good. They are gorgeous.
xx
We had the 4th picnic in 7 days Ash. It’s all so much fun but a bit tiring at the same time. Thanks for your sweet words:-)
These sound SO good! Love the flavour and love the crust!!
Thanks very much Katrina:-)
These look great! So excited to make these. I always make lots of mini-pies instead of one larger pie, as I feel less guilty after eating way too much. Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!
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