175 Best Mini Pie Recipes Cookbook

I'm back with another cookbook compliments of Robert Rose, this time 175 Best Mini Pies Recipes.

I picked this book at the suggestion of my family who really like pie!

I was a bit nervous about this one as my Mom is a master pastry baker who swears by her pastry recipe. And which I have been the recipient of, as she has often left prepared pastry in my freezer so all I have to do is roll it out!

But mini-pies are proving to be one of the most popular trends in baking today. The author shares her expertise by providing tips  and techniques for creating perfect mini-pies, recipes for a variety of crusts and pies in a fabulous array of flavours. Julie's recipes have been featured in People, O,The Oprah Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens and Food Network Magazine.

After studying the  recipes, I decided to make Streusel-Topped Pineapple Rum Galettes using an All Butter Pastry.

As I worked my way through the pastry recipe, I was sure it wouldn't turn out. I used the food processor to prepare the pastry as per the recipe and was a bit overzealous with the result that before adding the water the flour/butter mixture was more fine than it should have been.  Then when rolling the dough I don't think I rolled it quite thin enough.

But here's a photo of my galettes:

I don't think they are too far off those in the book.

And another couple of close up photos as I am kind of proud of how they turned out.

The secret to keeping the pastry  flakey is chilling the dough prior to rolling, then chilling the pies again just before baking.

I will for sure be trying many more of the recipes in this book and if you would like to try the galettes and all butter dough, here are the recipes:

Streusel-Topped Pineapple Rum Galettes

• 5-inch (12.5 cm) round cutter
• 2 baking sheets lined with parchment

3 tbsp unsalted butter
1⁄4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp dark rum
1⁄4 tsp salt
2 cups drained fresh or canned pineapple pieces
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 recipe All-Butter Pie Dough (see below)
1 large egg, mixed with 1 tbsp water
1 recipe Macadamia Nut Streusel Topping (see below)

1.In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add brown sugar, rum and salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add pineapple and toss to coat. Mix in flour. Set aside to cool completely.
2.On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to slightly thicker than 1⁄16 inch (2 mm). Using cutter, cut into rounds and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing apart. Reroll scraps as necessary.
3.Brush edges of rounds with egg wash. Place 2 tbsp (30 mL) filling in center of each round. Fold edges over filling so they overlap slightly but center is still exposed. Press firmly to seal. Press about 11⁄2 tbsp (22 mL) streusel onto exposed center. Brush top of dough with egg wash.
4.Place galettes in freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
5.Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, switching positions of baking sheets halfway through, until crust and streusel are golden brown and filling is bubbly. Let cool on baking sheets on wire racks for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Tips: When purchasing fresh pineapple, look for firm fruit with green leaves and a fresh scent. Using a sharp knife, trim the pineapple and remove the outer rind. Slice the fruit into 1⁄2-inch (1 cm) rings and remove the core from each ring. Discard cores, then chop the flesh into 1⁄2?inch (1 cm) pieces.
The pies can be fully assembled (Steps 1 through 3) and frozen for up to three days. Freeze for at least 30 minutes on trays, then place in a single layer in zip?top bags. Bake from frozen, as directed.

Makes 16 galettes

All-Butter Pie Dough

Makes about 13⁄4 lbs dough
Enough for 12 to 24 pies, depending on size

• Food processor

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1⁄2 tsp salt
9 oz cold unsalted butter, cubed
3⁄4 cup ice water
2 tsp cider vinegar

1. In food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse flour, sugar and salt to combine.
2. Scatter butter over flour mixture and pulse several times, until butter is the size of peas. Transfer to a bowl.
3. In a small bowl, stir together ice water and vinegar.
4. Add half of the water mixture to flour mixture, stirring with a fork to combine. Add more of the water mixture 1 tbsp at a time, just until dough begins to hold together in moist clumps (you might not need all the mixture).
5. Shape dough into a ball, then transfer to a large piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Macadamia Nut Streusel Topping

2⁄3 cup packed light brown sugar
2⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
3⁄4 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp salt
1⁄2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, flour, almonds, cinnamon and salt. Using your fingers, rub in butter until clumps form.
2. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 week.

Excerpted from 175 Best Mini Pie Recipes by Julie Anne Hession © 2013 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca May not be reprinted without publisher permission.