Mini Pumpkin Pies

I'm on such a pumpkin rush right now. It's almost thanksgiving and I can sense the end is near for the fruit which brings us so many different recipes. Pinterest boards are bursting at the seams with ideas from pumpkin pasta dishes to creme brulee but really lets be honest- nothing will ever replace the good old thanksgiving favorite....the pumpkin pie! Have you ever noticed how easy and fast it can be to make a pumpkin pie? Sure the baking time can be on the long side but make it a day ahead and give yourself some breathing space on the big day. A few simple ingredients and some spices which I bet are lurking in your kitchen right now are all you need for your pie.

Dare I mention frozen pastry dough....you betcha! I had some leftover from making my butternut squash quiche and figured I had to turn it into something. There's not too many ways a pumpkin pie can be tricked out but for a second or five minutes I did think about adding bacon, yay or nay on the bacon folks? Maybe next year, but for now I thought mini pies would be a better idea, definitely cuter than a slice and easy just to pick up and eat. Mini's are great for many reasons like- no dishes to clean, little to no shirt mess and can be eaten while zip lining or bungee jumping (someone must have done this) On the flip side it could be dangerously easy to eat ten and think, ummm where the heck did those just go?

I used a muffin pan to make these Itty bitty pie-lets. Don't worry too much about making sure the pastry is all neatly tucked into the pan, these are rustic and should look a little on the rough side. I like to eat my pumpkin pie with some cream whipped with a little sugar and vanilla. If you do decide to make these mini's (or a full size pie) for your celebration dinner ahead of time, be sure to let it come to room temperature. Plop a dollop of cream on top and watch everyone let their ooo's and ahhh's out before the tryptophan kicks in.

Recipe for Mini Pumpkin Pies:  adapted from Simply Recipes

Prep Time- 15 minutes    Bake Time- 50-55 minutes    Serves 12        

1 pound frozen pie pastry dough
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Roll out the pie dough until about 1/8 inch thick. Using a four inch scone or cookie cutter, cut out 12 discs of pastry. Line each muffin space with a circle of dough, gently pushing it down to the bottom and making sure it reaches just over the top of the pan as it will shrink a tiny bit. Set aside.

In a bowl mix the sugars, salt, spices and zest together. Beat the eggs and add to the dry ingredients.

Add the pumpkin and mix together. Mix in the heavy cream and whisk until combined.

Fill each pie shell with the custard mix until almost at the top of the shell. Carefully transfer to a baking tray and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for a further 45 minutes or until the centers of the pies are no longer jiggly.

Cool the pies for at least one hour before eating.