Pie Noon

If you love pie, I have good news for you. Pies are hot! I don't mean the one you just took out of the oven; pies have become so popular now that bakeries and restaurants are featuring the tasty treat.

Here's an interesting statistic: in 2010, Americans ordered 722 million servings of pie at restaurants, which is 12 million more slices than 2009. Some brides are choosing to have pies at their weddings instead of the traditional wedding cake. Several eateries serve pie shakes. How do you make a pie shake? Take a slice of pie, a scoop of ice cream, some milk, and place it all in a powerful blender. No, I’m not kidding.

If a friend invites you to happy hour at a restaurant, it might be a pie happy hour. No one is sure where this trend started, but prestigious newspapers from the East and West Coasts think it started here in Texas. They may be right. Both the Blue Bonnet Cafe in Marble Falls and the Texan Cafe in Hutto hold pie happy hours.

Here are some recipes for your own pie happy hour. But first, a few tips that will help the pie-making go smoothly:

• Before placing the bottom crust in the pan, lightly grease the pan. I always grease a cake or loaf pan, but it took me a while to discover that this helps keep the pie from sticking.
• Use very cold butter or shortening when making pie crust. It makes the crust nice and flaky.
• Once you put the pie dough in the pan or tart shell, place it in the refrigerator or freezer and chill before baking. This keeps the pastry from shrinking too much while baking.

Mini Raspberry Pies

Pastry Dough

Add 6 tablespoons ice water (plus the almond extract if you're using it) to the flour mixture, pulsing until moist clumps form. Stop to test dough with your fingertips to see if it's moist enough to hold together. If the dough is too dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more ice water as needed.

Remove blade and divide dough into 2 pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Flatten each into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger piece of dough to slightly less than 1/8-inch thickness. Dust work surface and dough with flour as necessary to keep dough from sticking (or roll between 2 pieces of waxed paper). Cut out twelve dough circles 4-1/2-inches in diameter, or sized to fit in the muffin cups. Reroll scraps if necessary.

Grease and flour muffin cups. Transfer dough circles into cups, pressing dough to about 1/4-inch above the edge of the pan. Place muffin pan in the freezer or refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes while preparing the filling.

Roll out remaining dough and cut into twelve 3-1/4-inch circles, or pieces big enough to cover muffin cups as top crusts. Reroll scraps and set aside at room temperature until ready to use.

Filling

• 4 cups frozen unsweetened raspberries (don't thaw)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• Cream or milk
• Coarse or granulated sugar

Place muffin pan on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 40 to 55 minutes, or until tops are nicely browned and juices are bubbling and thickened. Let pies cool for 10 minutes before carefully removing from muffin tin. Makes 12 individual pies.

All right, I admit to sounding girly, but these tartlets are so cute! The no-roll coconut crust substitutes for pastry dough, which is great if you're pressed for time. I don't think mini muffin pans existed when I was little, but if they had, I would have begged my mom to make some dolly-sized pies for me and my friends when we held tea parties for our dolls.

Chocolate Macaroon Tartlets

• 1-1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, packed
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons unbleached flour
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• Confectioners' sugar (optional)

When cool, carefully remove each tartlet shell from pan. If shells are too fragile, leave them in the pan to fill or let them cool a little longer.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine cream and chocolate. Microwave on High for 40 to 60 seconds, or until cream is hot and chocolate is soft and almost melted. Stir until chocolate is smooth. If chocolate is not quite melted, heat for 20 to 40 seconds more, or until chocolate is almost melted.

Spoon chocolate mixture into cooled coconut crusts and refrigerate until chocolate filling is firm. If not serving right away, refrigerate until almost ready to serve. Lightly dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired. Makes 12 tartlets.

These walnut tartlets (or a tart, depending on what size you want to make) are a different twist on the usual pecan pie. If you like your sweets on the rich side, add a little scoop of ice cream.

Espresso-Walnut Tarts

Graham Cracker Crust

• 11 whole graham crackers (makes about 1-1/3 cups crumbs)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• Pinch of salt

Filling

• 10 tablespoons (1-1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2-1/4 cups walnut pieces
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
• Pinch of salt

Scrape the hot filling into the prepared tartlet shells. Let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely set (at least 3 hours and up to 1 day) before serving. Makes four 4-inch tartlets, or one 8-inch tart.