#makeitmonday : mini pies

Hi! It’s pie! ... mini pies! 

Normally we’re not big on sweets BUT this crust is too good AND summer is the season for all the good fruits! We try to simplify recipes and make them fun and involved for kids. We also try to keep things pretty clean for the most part. If you have healthy substitutes please share! A heads up, this recipe we will be using pretty common household ingredients. It’s what we had in stock here!

pie crust: 

-1 & 1/3 cups flour 

-1 tsp salt 

-1/2 cup Crisco 

-1 cup of cold water and TBSP to use 

Feel free to use which ever fruit is your favorite for the filling. We wanted to try them all to see which my favorite was! Our favorite was the blackberry! Instead of sugar sometimes we tend to use agave which is great for our vegan friends too!

fruit filling: 

-strawberries & white sugar 

-blackberries & white sugar

-peaches & brown sugar 

We made these “mini” by using mason jar lids! We have a lot of mason jars because we also make pickles and salsas a lot! (We’ll make those another day!) You can turn it in to a pie tin by flipping the inner flat circle upside down! Voila! Mini pie tin! Let’s wash our hands and get started!

-Put 1 & 1/3 cups flour and 1 tsp salt in a bowl, mix around a bit. 

-Add 1/2 cup Crisco. Let your child mix with their hands. It’s easier! Ask them what it feels like!

-Add 1 TBSP of cold water one scoop at a time. We used about 5 total to make a nice ball of smooth dough. You can use up to 8 scoops. 

-Take a small chunk of dough and place in the jar lid/ pie tin. Begin to press down and flatten it out, and smoosh it up the sides. If you need more dough, add more to the middle and flatten it out again. 

-Talk through this process too! What does it feel like? Is it hard? Is it thick? Can they feel the bottom of the tin?

-Once you’ve used all the dough, use a fork to poke some holes in the bottom. 

a little golden on their edges

-Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake on bottom rack for about 15 minutes or until they start to turn golden brown. 

-While pie crusts are baking, time for fruit prep! Start by washing your fruit. 

-When giving your child a tool remember to talk about the importance of how to use tools. Have them tap the “sharp” part of the knife. We used the metal butter knife because it is strong. The wooden knife worked well on soft fruits! With these knives, talk about using it like a saw in slow back and forth motions. Watch our little fingers that hold the fruit! (We’ll talk about knives one Tuesday soon!)

-Fruit tips! Smell the sweetness of your fruit! For cutting, blackberries were the easiest. It’s like a log they can slice. With strawberries, they can usually cut the whole thing. I suggest cutting off the green, then standing it up like a mountain. Cut the mountain in half, lay half down and cut it in half again! The peaches may need your assistance in cutting it in half. Let them try to remove the pit. If they ask for help, help! 

-In a bowl, place your fruit and add some sugar. Let them smash the fruit and sugar with a fork or mashed potato masher! Add sugar or agave to your family’s preference. I don’t add to much with fruit because I like to feature it’s naturally sweetness! (Call me crazy!) 

-Scoop your fruit on to your baked pie crusts! Add a little fresh slice of fruit, if you want, on top! Eat with whipped cream (our favorite way) or a la mode!

Enjoy!