Mini Pumpkin Pies For Two Recipes

PUMPKIN PIE FOR TWO

Steps:

• For the crust: Put a small baking sheet on a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 375 degrees F. Process the flour, butter, granulated and confectioners' sugars and salt in a food processor until the mixture resembles wet crumbs and holds together when squeezed in your palm, about 2 minutes (this takes longer than seems necessary, but be patient). Divide the mixture evenly between two 5-inch aluminum pie pans or pie tins. Press the dough very firmly into the bottoms and up the sides, making sure to press it into the corners very well. Smooth and flatten the tops with your fingers or the back of a small spoon.
• Bake the crusts on the hot baking sheet until the bottom and sides are golden brown (probably more in some spots than in others), about 12 minutes. Let cool completely on a cooling rack.
• For the filling: Whisk together the eggs, cream, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and allspice in a medium bowl. Whisk in the pumpkin puree and then the melted butter.
• Put the filling in the pie shells. Bake until puffed and the centers still look slightly wet but not loose, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before serving.
• For the lightly sweetened whipped cream: Put the cream, sugar and vanilla in a well-chilled bowl or in a bowl over ice. Beat with a whisk by hand or an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute.
• Dollop each pie with some whipped cream and serve.

MINI PUMPKIN PIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Roll each pie crust out onto a floured surface to a rough rectangle about 11 inches square. Cut each pie crust into 12 3-inch rounds. Fit the little pie crust circles into 24 mini pie dishes.
• Separate one egg, and place the egg white into a small bowl. Beat the egg white until slightly frothy, and brush the edges of each mini pie crust with egg white. Place the remaining yolk into a bowl, and beat with remaining 2 eggs. Mix the softened cream cheese, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice into the eggs to make a smooth filling. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the filling into each crust.
• Bake the pies in the preheated oven until the crust edges are golden brown and the filling is set, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool before eating.

MINI PUMPKIN PIES FOR TWO

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, sugar, butter, and cream cheese. Pulse until the mixture looks like large pebbles. Alternately, add everything to a large bowl and cut in the fat using a pastry blender.
• Add the water and pulse until a dough forms. Divide the dough into two even pieces and flatten each piece into an evenly round disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or until cold.
• Preheat oven to 400F. Place two 4-inch springform pans onto a baking sheet.
• Working with one disk at a time, roll the dough into a 6 inch circle. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan (if the dough tears, patch into pieces). Repeat with the remaining disk. If the oven is still preheating, keep both pans cold in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
• Line each pie crust with greased foil, covering the bottom and sides. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 10 minutes.
• Remove the foil and weights then bake another 5 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown and no longer looks uncooked.
• Turn the oven down to 350F. Let the crusts cool while you make the filling.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, salt, and vanilla. Whisk in the milk and heavy cream.
• Divide the filling evenly between the two crusts. Bake 45-50 minutes or until the filling is set (the center may jiggle slightly but shouldn't be wet).
• Cool for at least 2 hours then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving with whipped cream.