As the person in your life who loves to miniaturize your favorite desserts, I should have made these mini pies in muffin cups for y’all sooner. I apologize for that. This is my new favorite way to eat pie because it cooks in half the time of a regular pie. There’s plenty of room to play with this recipe: make 2 pies in Texas-sized muffin cups or 4 pies in a standard muffin pan. Switch up the fruit, mix up the spices, etc. I used apple pie spice in these peach pies (will I be arrested for this?). I recently wrote an article for a food magazine in which I brazenly declared lard to be the supreme fat for pie crust. Are y’all scared of lard? I find most people are, so I’ve only shared my all-butter pie crust recipe here on Dessert For Two. But today, for the adventurous ones out there, I give you my go-to pie crust recipe with lard. I cut my full-sized recipe directly in half to make these mini pies. So yes, if you double it, you will have a single pie crust for a large 9” pie.
The key to cooking with lard is to use FRESH lard. Fresh lard has not been hydrogenated with trans fats, and is only found in the refrigerated section of your grocery store (not in shelf-stable packages). If you’re having trouble locating it, try a Latin grocer. Have fun with these pies. Mix up the flavors and fillings, and maybe take the time to make a pretty edge before placing them in the oven? Lord knows I’m way too impatient to do that myself. Send me pictures of your mini pie variations on my facebook page. I’d love to see!
