Pies in a Mason Jar

This is the cutest, most innovative thing I have seen, well, this season anyway!  (McGee was pretty cute.)  If you want a new and spectacular that is fresh and will give you a big WOW! this is what you need.

I came across this on the Internet four days ago.  After some searching and planning I did a test run of 7 jars.  I tested a can of tart cherries and my tried and true pumpkin pie recipe.  Both did beautifully.    I ate the cherries and they were excellent and the crust was flaky in it's wonderful-ness.  I will share with you the pie crust recipe I used as well.

You need 1/2 pint mason jars, of course.  And they need to be straight sided, the "jar" shape won't allow you to get the darned thing out to eat!  I thought the quilted jars was totally appropriate!!!!!

Then you need basic measuring utensils and these ingredients.

At the last minute I decided to do the crust mixing in the food processor.  Yesterday I did it with the Kitchenaid mixer but couldn't' find my bread dough hook anywhere.  You need to cut up the butter into smaller chunks and add to the dry ingredients.  Pulse a few times to mix it to a cornmeally looking substance.  Then unplug the appliance (for safety always!) and take the dough out, divide in half and refrigerate for 1/2 to 1 hour.

I prepared my jars by spraying some Pam in them, which I did not do the first time and Frank mutilated the pies getting them out of the jars.

Take the dough from the fridge and roll it out thin.  The most time consuming part of the process is putting the dough into the jars.  But take your time and cover the jars well with no holes.

I used the end of the rounded 1/2 teaspoon measure to push the bottom around because my hand would not fit into the glass.  It worked if I was careful.  Smaller hands would do better.

Put your pie fillings into the pie crust filled jars.  Today I used pumpkin, cherry and apple.  Then I used a biscuit cutter and cut a circle to place on top.  Then I got fancy and used a sharp knife to cut a heart in the top (do this before you put it on your filling!)

See how cute?

Put your lids on.  At this point you can put them into the fridge.  Or the freezer.  Or bake immediately.  I put them into the fridge and then baked later in the afternoon.

My helpers appear to be pretending to be nice doggies, but McGee was preparing to chew up my 2011 National Specialty jacket.  That Basset Train is looking mighty close now........


TAKE THE LIDS OFF TO BAKE THEM!

Bake, I used 350 and 50 minutes but I have a convection oven, you may need longer minutes.  Mine auto converts the degrees for me when I ask it to, so 350 is good for you if you have a regular oven.

I thought you needed to see a lot of pictures of the finished products   Are they not wonderful?  And the house smelled so good!

 Look at that perfect heart!

That was supposed to be a pumpkin but it got warped in the oven!

Here is some cherry goodness!

Crust recipe:

2 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 c butter cold
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons ice water

place dry ingredients in processor bowl and mix.  add butter that has been cut into 1/2 in chunks.  process by pulsing a few times.  You want your butter to be cut into the flour but not come to a ball, it needs to look more like a cornmeal substance.

Add water by tablespoon full until dough is thoroughly wet.

Divide in half, wrap in plastic wrap and put into fridge for about 1 hour.

Roll to your favorite thickness and use......

glen