A Mini Thanksgiving- Personal Pies

A few months ago, my mom got me the book “Cutie Pies,” featuring all types of mini pies, some hand held, some made in short little mason jars. I finally got around to buying some little jars last week, and I’m proud to say that the results of my efforts were NOT a baking fail. I will admit that I bought ready made pie crust, which a) cut down on time and b) meant it tasted good. These pies were really easy – they’d be fun for someone who was throwing Thanksgiving for the first time, or for just a weekday dessert. The recipe below is adapted from the book, with my shortcuts. The book does give a great recipe for crust, as well as a crumb topping.

Blueberry Lemon Mini-Pie

2 short mason jars
1 ready made pie crust, unrolled
1 bag frozen blueberries
1 lemon, juiced
zest of one lemon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
pinch of salt
whipped cream (optional, for topping)

Preheat oven to 375. Toss blueberries with lemon juice. In large bowl, mix zest, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add blueberries and toss to combine. Press the mason jar onto the pie crust to cut out a circle, put circle of crust on bottom of jar. Then line the jar with one strip of dough, pressing into place. Spoon filling into jars, but do not overfill. You can leave the top of the pie open, make a crumb topping, or cut smaller strips to make a lattice crust topping. Bake for 25-28 minutes, until golden brown.