Use Mason jar lids to make portion sized mini fruit pies and tarts!
It’s Healthy Kitchen Hacks Wednesday – the day we share our favorite time-saving kitchen tricks and cooking shortcuts to help you make healthy and delicious meals.
You can see all our Healthy Kitchen Hacks here. To get exclusive healthy kitchen hacks – only available to our email subscribers – sign up HERE.
Now…onto today’s featured Healthy Kitchen Hack:
How To Make Mini Pies and Tarts with Mason Jar Lids
This week’s Healthy Kitchen Hacks fits perfectly into this month’s Recipe ReDux theme:
Use Mason jar lids to make portion sized mini fruit pies! via @tspbasil #thereciperedux Click To TweetSmall Bite Desserts
In honor of The Recipe ReDux’s 6th birthday, we’re celebrating with cake…or another small bite dessert that fits your fancy. Show us your healthy small bite dessert creation.
I’ve first tried this hack a few years ago (it was my first Periscope cast) and then I refined it for a Healthy Aperture post for Mini Pear and Fig Tarts. Now it’s one of my favorite baking tricks for making desserts with built-in portion control!
You’ll need 3½-inch Mason jar lids [*affiliate link* – I use these Ball wide mouth lids and bands] and you use them like you would use a regular size tart pan (that’s the pan with a removable bottom) to make mini tarts and pies.
As for the dough, you can use frozen pie crust. I’ve used this pie crust recipe with this hack as well as a sweeter dough recipe similar to this German Fruit Tart (and featured in the mini cherry tarts below.)
For the fruit, simply cut up 2 1/2 cups of fresh fruit or thaw frozen fruit in a pan. I add a few tablespoons of sugar, honey or jam (or less if the fruit is really ripe and sweet) and then mash it up and let it sit for about 10 minutes (this is called macerating.) Then I mix in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, some vanilla extract and your pie filling is ready to go.
PrintMini Cherry Tarts
Description
Use Mason jar lids to make portion sized mini fruit pies and tarts!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups pitted and chopped cherries
- 1–2 tablespoons sugar, honey or jam
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 frozen pie crust, thawed or use the dough in this German Fruit Tart
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, mix together cherries and sweetener. Mash with the back of a fork and then let berries sit 10 minutes.
- Mix in cornstarch and extract. Set aside
- On a heavily floured surfaced, knead dough a few times and divide into eight balls. Pat each ball into a 4-inch circle. Place each circle in 3½-inch Mason jar lids. Pat down and push dough up the side of the rim of each lid. Prick the bottom of each crust with a fork.
- Spoon cherries into each crust.
- Place crusts on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until the crusts’ edges start to turn golden brown.
- Remove from oven and cool slightly. Then remove tarts from each mason jar lid. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla yogurt.
Happy happy 6th birthday to The Recipe ReDux! For more small bite dessert recipes, click on the ReDux graphic below.
Cheryl
Tuesday 22nd of August 2017
Genius! This would be a great way to use up little odds and ends of frozen pastry too - pinning for later!
Deanna Segrave-Daly
Wednesday 23rd of August 2017
Oooh great idea Cheryl!
Karman | The Nutrition Adventure
Friday 23rd of June 2017
What a brilliant idea! These pies look so rustic, too!
Denise
Friday 23rd of June 2017
I love cherries and I love mason jars so this recipe is on my "make" list!
Deanna Segrave-Daly
Friday 23rd of June 2017
Yay! LMK what you think :)
Farrah
Thursday 22nd of June 2017
Hooray for mason jars + lids! I have so many of em' hanging out in my apartment + I'm definitely loving the idea of built-in portion control! Can't wait to try making these! :]
Tara | Treble in the Kitchen
Wednesday 21st of June 2017
SO clever!!! Love the idea of using mason jar lids!!!
Deanna Segrave-Daly
Wednesday 21st of June 2017
It's so easy to do too!