Pumpkin Pie Bites Crust Question

S

suz

Well-known member
I found this recipe this morning and thought it would make a fun dessert for Thanksgiving. My question is about the crust. I would like to make my T&T 'easy' cream cheese crust. Cream cheese, butter and flour. Baking time would be the same. Can I do it?

Pumpkin Pie Bites

Adapted from Bakerella’s Pumpkin Pie Bites

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 pre-made, ready to roll pie crusts

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour (or use nonstick cooking spray) a mini-muffin pan. Set aside.

- On a lightly floured surface, carefully roll the pie crust with a floured rolling pin.

- Using a round cookie or biscuit cutter (approximately 2 1/2 – 3 inches diamater) cut at least 12 rounds out of each pie crust.

- Carefully press each round into the mini-muffin pans. Use your fingers to round the ends into a pie crust.

- Once all the muffin tins are filled with pie crusts, place the entire tray in the freezer while preparing the filling.

- Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin and beat to combine.

- Add sugar and beat to combine. Add eggs one at a time, beating each until combined.

- Stir in vanilla and spices.

- Remove prepared muffin tin from the freezer. Fill each mini-pie crust with filling almost up to the top.

- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden around the edges. Remove to a wire rack. Let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 24-36 mini pie bites

 
This is the recipe for the pie, right? How do you make your cream cheese crust? It sounds like it

would work. I am also getting bored with regular pie crust, so I'd like to see what yours is like!

 
Rec for cream cheese dough

I use this dough when making mini pecan tarts. Easy as can be...
1pkg (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4lb butter
1c flour
Cream butter and cream cheese together. Blend in flour and form into a ball. Refrigerate untill ready to use.
I have never rolled out this dough but instead placed little balls in my mini muffin tin and shaped.

 
Here's a cream cheese pie dough from the link Gay posted. Rec: Mile High Apple Pie

Mile-High Apple Pie
Makes 8 servings

The attractive high dome of an apple pie can be considered a ruse, as the apples have shrunk, leaving a big space between the filling and the crust.

Precooking the apples will minimize the gap and concentrate the apple flavor, too. Cream cheese pie dough makes assembling the pastry a breeze.
Cream Cheese Pie Dough:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
6 ounces cream cheese (not low fat), at room temperature, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Apple Filing:
4 pounds Golden Delicious apples
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Glaze:
1 tablespoon heavy cream or whole milk
1 teaspoon sugar

Preparation:
To make the dough, put the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse briefly to combine them. Scatter the butter and cream cheese over the top and pulse about 12 times, or just until the dough begins to clump together (butter pieces will still be visible). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather it together.

Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled but not hard, 1 to 2 hours.

To make the filling, peel and quarter the apples, and cut out the core from each quarter. Cut each quarter lengthwise into thirds and place in a large bowl. As you add the slices to the bowl, occasionally sprinkle and toss the apples with the lemon juice. (Don't wait until all the apples are cut, or the first slices will have already turned brown.)

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add half of the apples and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Cook, stirring often, for about 7 minutes, or until the apples are barely tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Transfer to a large roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the second half of the apples, and the remaining cup sugar. If your skillet is smaller than 12 inches, cook the apples in three batches. Let the filling cool completely, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle the flour and cinnamon over the cooled filling and toss well.

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Lightly flour a work surface, and draw a 12-inch circle in the flour. This guide will be the perfect size for a standard 9-inch pie dish. Place 1 dough disk in the center of the circle, and dust a little flour on top. Using the circle as a guide, roll out the dough into a 12-inch round about 1/8 inch thick. Loosely roll the dough round around the rolling pin, center the pin over the pie dish, and carefully unroll the round over a 9-inch pie dish, easing it into the bottom and sides and allowing the excess to overhang the sides.

Fill with the apple mixture. Trim the overhanging dough to 1/2 inch. Roll out the remaining pie dough into a second 12-inch round. Transfer the dough round the same way, centering it over the apple filling. Fold the overhang of the upper round under the edge of the bottom crust. Pinch the crusts together and flute the edge attractively. Cut a small hole in the center of the pie to allow steam to escape. Freeze for 15 minutes or refrigerate for 30 minutes.

To glaze the pie, lightly brush the top crust with the cream. Sprinkle the top crust with the sugar.

Place the pie on the hot baking sheet and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Let cool on a wire cooling rack for at least 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips for apple pie:
Cream cheese pie dough does not need additional water to moisten it, taking a lot of the guesswork out of making a pie crust.

Do not chill pie dough until it is rock hard, or it will be difficult to roll out.

Sprinkle the apple slices with lemon juice as they are cut. If you wait to sprinkle them all at the same time, the first ones you cut will turn brown.

Sauté the apples to minimize shrinkage during baking.

Remember the mantra "cold pastry, hot oven," and chill the pie before baking.

Bake the pie on a hot baking sheet to help crisp the bottom crust.

Source: Rick Rodgers,

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=view_from_the_bay/food_wine&id=7100793

 
Looks like the same dough I make just double the amount and a bit of salt, so...

looks like it will work for a full size pie!

 
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