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Strawberry Pies, Crispy Mini Fried Pies
Mini Pies
Easy Strawberry Pie
Who knew making mini pies could be as easy as pie? Well, unlike some "simple" recipes you will find, this mini pie formula really is easy! No pie crust to fight with, and no waiting around for things to chill, set, and bake either! This is a really easy strawberry mini pie recipe with very few ingredients which include fresh berries and tender little egg roll wrappers. With this recipe, you are on your way to a delightful sweet and tangy strawberry and blueberry filled pie you can pick up and eat with one hand! And who wouldn't want to eat pie with one hand?
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Cook Time
Ingredients For Starwberry Mini Pies
- 2 cups starwberries, cleaned and rough chopped
- 1/2 cup blueberries, rinsed
- 1 cup sugar or sugar substitute, (If you like Splenda, it works the best as a sugar substitute here)
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, the more age it has the better
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 1 teaspoon dry camomile flowers or tea, I use the tea from a regular old tea bag and it works great!
- 1 package egg roll wrappers
- 1 egg, whisked with 2 teaspoons water to make an egg-wash
- Canola oil, for shallow frying, I have used extra virgin olive oil for great flavor and the health benefits I feel it brings
Filling For Mini Pies
Sealing Egg Roll Wrappers
Instructions
- FILLING: In a medium sauce pan, over medium-heat add; strawberries, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and zest, camomile, and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a gentle boil and reduce heat to simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, no longer. Make sure the sugar has completely dissolved, but DO NOT over cook the berries!
- FILLING: Add in the whole clean blueberries and remove the pan from heat. You want the strawberries to remain somewhat firm and the blueberries unbroken, yet warmed completely through. Drain off all of the berry liquid using a fine strainer and reserve. (Try not to break any berries during this process.) If too much liquid is left in the berries it can cause a real mess during frying. Besides, the pies will get soggy and that is not the plan here!
- In a large pan, heat enough oil to cover half way up the pies (see frying image below) to 350°F (177°C). Keep an eye on the temperature using a thermometer during the frying process, maintaining consistent heat makes for better crispy pies.
- On a flat, clean, and level surface, brush the egg wash liberally on all four sides of an egg roll wrapper. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of drained filling in the center. (How full you want your pies is up to you. Just remember that any of the filling that leaks out during frying will quickly place you in a spattering hissing danger zone!)
- Fold the top edge down over the berries pressing the flap gently against the filling. Now, bring the bottom of the wrapper up over the top fold. Seal it by running your finger along the long seam and pressing the ends closed.
- Add egg wash to each end and fold the ends closed making a little package. Then, press the end folds in place slightly-snug against the filling inside. Turn the pie over. Using a regular salad fork, press the folded ends so that the tines of the fork seal them securely; each folded end should have decorative (as well as practical) indentations from the fork.
- Brush a little bit of the egg wash over the long seam of the pie to make certain a good seal in achieved before frying.
- Carefully place two pies at a time into the 350°F (177°C) oil. Add the pies to the oil (seams down) by gently guiding the bottom into the oil and then with a very slight nudge, slowly push the top of the pie (where you are holding it) away from you and into the oil. This will cause the oil to splash away from you in the event of a big oil wake.
- Fry each pie for about one minute on each side, turning them during the process. Cook them until the shell is a bubbling crispy deep golden brown color. Remove from oil and drain on clean cotton cloth or paper towels. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes, serve warm with a dipping sauce, dusted with powdered sugar, or your favorite ice cream! (Sometimes I use all three serving suggestions on one plate!)
How To Fry Mini Pies
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Do you think these mini pies are a good recipe for a party or college students' dessert?
Balsamic Strawberry Dipping Sauce
Tangy Sweet Strawberry Sauce Recipe
Remember the liquid you drained off of the simmering berry mixture? Well, it is time to put it to good use! While your fried mini berry-filled pies are cooling, return the reserved berry liquid to a medium sauce pan and heat it over medium-high heat. While stirring constantly, add in:
- 1 tablespoon of aged balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
Allow to reduce for about 5 minutes, then drizzle generously over pies, or put into a serving dish and dip your mini pies to taste—remember no double dipping!
Keeping The Fingers "Out" Of Finger Food
PARTY DIP ETIQUETTE
Individual serving vessels for each guest may be the best idea if you are sharing any kind of party dip with people you are not familiar with. When serving finger foods at a party or event, it is always a good idea to have small plates handy. (Paper or ceramic are both fine. Just try to keep the mood and class of the event in mind when choosing which to use). Having little plates on your banquette table lets your guest know that those large bowls and platters full of scrumptious nibbles, should be taken away from the table on the little plates. Clearly meaning there is no double-dipping while grazing through the smorgasbord of selections. Finger food should not mean everyone's fingers, after all!
Finger Food Dessert, Mini Pies
Ever Thought About Making Your Own Egg Roll Wrappers? Looks Pretty Simple...
Nutrition Facts for 1 Cup (halved) Fresh Raw Strawberries
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 1 cup | |
| Calories | 49 |
| Calories from Fat | 36 |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Fat 4 g | 6% |
| Saturated fat 0 g | |
| Carbohydrates 12 g | 4% |
| Sugar 7 g | |
| Fiber 3 g | 12% |
| Protein 1 g | 2% |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Tips For making Mini Pies
Here are a couple of tips that will help you make these simple pies. A couple of the tips even show you how to change-up the recipe!
Mini Pie Tips
- Starting with all of the ingredients at room temperature helps the berries cook faster, thus they stay firmer.
- Keep the egg roll wrappers sealed until you are ready to use them.
- Any wrappers you don't use can be sealed in an airtight container and used for up to 7 days.
- The dryer the filling is, the better the end results will be. Excess liquid makes a soggy mess out of the fried shells.
- You are not limited to just berries, it's okay to use any fruit you like in this recipe. One of my favorite filling combinations is fresh pear and rhubarb. But, you have to cut the rhubarb very, very tiny to get it cooked enough in such a short period of time. I also add cinnamon to this combo.
- If you want to glaze the pies, any bunt cake vanilla glaze recipe works just great.
- If you want to make even smaller "micro-mini pies", follow the recipe above, just cut the wrappers in half before stuffing them and reduce the filling quantity in half for a delightful platter of tiny pies!
