Yes, I have applied the miniaturization of the desserts technique (soon to be trademarked) to my beloved pecan pie recipe. I tried it two different ways:
Way 1: At William-Sonoma a couple of weeks ago, I bought a cunning little gizmo–a cookie cutter of sorts for making homemade Pop-Tarts. I don’t believe I’ve ever eaten an actual store-bought Pop-Tart, but the idea of it appealed to me. It seemed like an excellent vehicle for one of my favorite things, pie crust. Although Pop-Tarts are, I guess, supposed to be made with jam, I didn’t see why my pecan pie filling wouldn’t be an excellent substitute.
Way 2: Mini, mini, mini pecan pies. I know that pie-lets (what would you call them?) are all the rage in the world of cookery these days, but they aren’t mini enough for me. The ones I created are, indeed, mini.
I used, as is my wont, pre-made pie dough, but you can make your own. The next time I do this, I will make a gluten-free pie dough, so you have that to look forward to.
The Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
2 eggs
1/8 cup butter
3/4 cup broken pecans
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
Cook the sugar and corn syrup until the sugar dissolves. Beat the eggs slightly and slowly pour into the corn syrup mixture, beating constantly. Add the butter, then the pecans. Add the vanilla and the salt.
Roll out your dough. If you’re going to make the Pop-Tarts, which means that you too have purchased the cunning little cutters, follow the directions on the box. Here’s the first stage, the base of the tart:
And here’s the second stage:
On the right is a base with the pecan filling in the center. May I advise you to allow some space around the perimeter where you will brush a little beaten egg and water. Then plonk a second base (which now, I suppose should be called a lid) on top, as the middle of the photo illustrates. Finally either crimp the edges, or if yOu’re using the cookie cutter, follow the directions. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until browned.
Okay, now we’re ready to make the mini mini mini pecan pies. Use a circular cookie cutter to make ten 2″ circles of dough. Grease a muffin tin lightly and press one circle in each muffin space, working the dough so that it comes up the sides a bit. Fill each circle with the pecan mixture. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until browned.
Voila! That’s it. You are now ready to serve and eat. Or just to eat. Bon appetit! And let me know what you think if you make either version.
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