Easy Mini Cherry Pies Recipes

MINI CHERRY PIES

Steps:

• For the crust: In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt and butter. Pulse the processor until the mixture resembles fine sand. Remove the lid and add the ice water to the mixture. Run the processor just until the mixture rolls itself into a little ball. If the mixture is a bit dry, add more ice water by the tablespoonful until it comes together. Gather the dough into a ball. With a bench scraper or knife, divide the mixture evenly in half. Shape each half into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes.
• Cook's Note: At this point you can keep the wrapped dough in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze for later use.
• For the filling: In a saucepan, combine the pitted cherries and 1 cup water over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Using a whisk, swirl the ingredients together, making sure that there aren't any lumps in the cornstarch. Add the sugar-cornstarch mixture and lemon zest to the cherries. Cook the cherry mixture until it comes to a rolling boil. Cook 1 minute more, until thickened. Allow the cherry filling to cool slightly while you prepare the crust.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 24 cup mini muffin tin or 2 (12 cup) mini muffin tins with cooking spray.
• Roll the dough disks out into 10-inch rounds on a well-floured work surface. With a 1 1/2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, edge lightly dipped in flour, cut 24 rounds from the first rolled out disk. With a 2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, edge lightly dipped in flour, cut 24 rounds from the second rolled out disk. You should have a total of 24 (1 1/2-inch) rounds and 24 (2-inch) rounds for matching top and bottom crusts.
• Gently fit the 2-inch dough rounds into the bottom of the prepared mini muffin tin. Make sure to pat down the bottom and the excess coming up the sides. Spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon cooled pie filling into each crust-lined cup. Fit the top of each mini pie with a 1 1/2-inch dough round, pushing down gently and sealing the bottom crust and top crust by crimping the edges together with a fork. With a sharp paring knife, make 3 small incisions on the top crust, to allow the steam to escape.
• Bake until the edges are golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 12 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack, and then remove from the muffin tin.

MINI CHERRY PIES

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the shortening and 1 stick butter; pulse until the flour looks like coarse meal. Add the remaining butter and pulse until it is in pea-size pieces. Add the egg yolk and 6 tablespoons ice water; pulse until the dough just begins to clump, adding up to 2 more tablespoons water if needed. Transfer the dough to a large sheet of plastic wrap and gather into a 2-by-12-inch log. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Put a baking sheet on the middle oven rack and preheat to 400 degrees F. Make the filling: Combine the cherries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and juice, and almond extract in a large bowl; toss until the sugar is dissolved and the cherries are coated. Set the filling aside.
• Cut the dough in half; cut one half into 6 pieces (keep the other half refrigerated). Roll each piece into a 6-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease each round into a 5-inch pie plate, letting the excess dough hang over the edge. Evenly divide the filling among the bottom crusts (the pies will be full).
• Remove the remaining dough from the refrigerator and use to make the top crusts (see options below); assemble the pies. Brush the top crusts with the beaten egg and sprinkle generously with coarse sugar. Refrigerate the pies until firm, about 30 minutes. Put the pies on the hot baking sheet in the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake until the crusts are golden and the fruit is bubbling, 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

MINI CHERRY CHEESECAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
• Place a vanilla wafer into the bottom of each muffin cup.
• Beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a bowl until fluffy. Spoon mixture into the muffin cups, filling them 2/3 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheesecake filling is set, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours. Spoon 2 or 3 cherries from pie filling over each cheesecake.

EASY MINI BLUEBERRY (OR CHERRY) PIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly spray 16 (2-inch wide) muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon.
• Using a pastry blended cut the cold butter until it resembles coarse crumbs; stir in nuts.
• Separate the dough into 8 biscuits.
• Split each biscuit in half to make 16 rounds.
• Using floured fingers flatten each to form a 4-inch round.
• Press each round into muffin cup.
• Spoon about 2 tablespoons pie filling into each biscuit-lined cup.
• Sprinkle each with about 2 tablespoons flour/cinnamon mix (cups will be full).
• Bake for 15-22 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool 5 minutes, then remove from muffin tins.
• Place on a wire rack to cool.
• In a small bowl mix the 3 tablespoons sugar with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
• Just before serving top each with whipped cream then sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar on top of the whipped cream.

3-INGREDIENT MINI HEART CHERRY PIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Unroll pie crusts; use rolling pin to slightly roll dough out.
• Use 3-inch diameter round cutter to cut 12 circles from dough. Use small heart-shaped cutter to cut 12 hearts from remaining dough, rerolling scraps as needed.
• Press circles into 12 ungreased regular-size muffin cups; fill with pie filling. Top each with heart-shaped cutout.
• In small bowl, beat egg and water. Brush over crust on each.
• Bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

MINI AIR FRYER CHERRY HAND PIES

Steps:

• Roll out each circle of pie dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut circles into the dough using a 3-inch round cookie cutter to make 16 circles (8 from each dough round).
• Moisten the edge of a circle with water, then add 1 tablespoon cherry pie filling in the center. Fold the circle in half and pinch the edges of the dough together to seal. Use a fork to crimp the edges to secure them further. Add a slit in the top of the crust with a sharp knife. Repeat with the remaining dough circles.
• Preheat an air fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and spray the air fryer bucket with cooking spray. Place pies in the basket in a single layer (you may need to work in batches). Spray the tops of the pies with more cooking spray, and sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar.
• Cook in the air fryer until golden brown, about 9 minutes.

MINI CHERRY CHEESECAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Combine crumbs and butter; press gently onto bottoms of 12 foil-lined muffin cups. In another bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. Add egg; beat on low speed just until combined. Spoon over crusts. , Bake until centers are almost set, 12-15 minutes. Cool completely. , For topping, drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice in a saucepan; discard remaining juice. To reserved juice, add cherries, sugar, cornstarch and, if desired, food coloring. Bring to a boil; cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Cool; spoon over cheesecakes. Refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours.