Blackberry Pie In A Mufin Tin
Did I tell you how much I like pie? I do. I really do. I like nice big slices of pie. I also like little hand pies. It must have been all those Hostess Fruit Pie commercials with Fruit Pie the Magician. With his top hat, cape and wand, he could conjure a treat better than any Dumbledore – who needs treacle tart when you have Hostess Fruit Pies? Fruit Pie the Magician stated the truth – “A Big Delight in Every Bite!” Apple, Cherry and Lemon! Those half moon shaped fruit pies came perfectly glazed and – just as they claimed – filled with fruit ;>) – a snack in the middle! In one commercial he visited a school! How did those kids at Franklin Elementary get the honor of a visit by Fruit Pie the Magician? I especially loved it when Fruit Pie the Magician was in the same commercial as Captain Cupcake and Twinkie the Kid – what a team! Do you remember when Fruit Pie The Magician made the tidal wave disappear? WOW!
Back in the day, Fruit Pie the Magician was adorned on all the fruit pie packages. Way back when, there was a blackberry pie version. It strikes me as a bit of a surprise as I love blackberries, but don’t often think of it as a big commercial flavor. The thought of blackberry pie though makes my stomach grumble. Add peaches and my stomach grumbles even more. Add a wrapper of flaky crust and it is a treat I have to make along with some vanilla ice cream to pile on top.
To make the hand pies, a half moon shape (like for egg pies) is certainly do-able. But, if a muffin tin is used, a sort of deep dish hand pie can be created. It can be a bit more messy while baking if a good crimping job isn’t done, but I am willing to sacrifice a little fruit escaping the crust during baking.
Here is how I make my Muffin Tin Blackberry and Peach Pies. A full rundown on crust making is here.
- 1/2 lb fresh blackberries
- 1/2 lb of fresh ripe peaches
- 1/4 cup of sugar - more or less depending on the sweetness of the fruit
- 1 tbsp of flour
- butter
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 cup of cold butter
- 2 tbsp of sugar
- 1/4 tsp of salt
- cold water
- cream
- Clean the fruit.
- Dice the peaches into cubes that are about the same size as the blackberries.
- Mix the diced peaches and blackberries in a medium bowl.
- Sprinkle the sugar over the fruit. If the fruit is already very sweet, use less. Toss the fruit.
- Sprinkle the flour over the fruit and toss well. Set aside.
- Cube the cold butter.
- In a bowl mix the flour, sugar and salt.
- With a fork, pastry cutter, your fingers, or a food processor, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse sand. If using a food processor, pulse the butter, flour, sugar, and salt together until the mixture looks like sand.
- Add water to the mixture 1 tbsp at a time mixing or pulsing until the dough, when pushed together between your fingers, comes together and sticks together and can form a ball. You probably will need 4-6 tbsp.
- Pour the mixture onto a clean work surface and push/fold the mixture until it can be formed into disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- After refrigeration, remove the dough from the plastic wrap and place it on a floured work surface.
- Roll out the dough to 1/8th inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut out twelve 5 inch circles and twelve 3 inch circles.
- Spray a 12 hole muffin tin with non stick spray.
- Place 1 large dough circle in each muffin hole and shape it to fit making sure there is some dough sticking up over the lip so it can be crimped.
- Fill the dough lined muffin tin holes with the fruit mixture making sure the blackberries and peaches are spread evenly among the pies.
- Add a few small pieces of butter to each one.
- Using a pastry brush, brush one side of the smaller dough circles and place one circle on top of the fruit filling. The cream will help the bottom and top crust stick together.
- Fold in the dough from the bottom crust and using your fingers crimp the dough circles together.
- Using a paring knife, cut small steam holes in the top of each pie.
- Sprinkle each top with a little sugar.
- Place a baking tray in the bottom rack of the oven in case the pies leak.
- Bake the pies for 45-50 minutes on the middle rack of the oven until the crusts are golden. Some fruit juice may also be bubbling out.
- Remove from the oven. Let the pies cool in the pan 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove the pies to a cooling rack.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Any fruit can be used.
- If you want just one big pie, split the dough into 2 pieces and roll them out to fit your pie tin. Place the bottom crust in, fill the pie with filling (depending on the size of the pie tin you may need more filling), then add the second layer of crust and crimp closed. Bake as directed.
I hope you enjoy.
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How do you make your blackberry pie? Have any tips to share? Let us know all about it in the comments or on Facebook.
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As a beginning baker I need a little clarification:
After brushing the smaller circles do I place the cream side up? ( I think so. )
Will regular milk or even 2% milk work? What about just using water? Or egg as I have on meat pie muffins?
What temperature are they baked at? (A friend says 350F – is she right?)
Approximately how many cups of filling is necessary as I will have to make fruit substitutions for my pies.
This recipe looks delicious and it’s fresh stone fruit season so I can’t wait to try it. Oh, and thanks for the crust recipe that goes with it.