Itty-Bitty Pumpkin Pies

When I came across these last week, I nearly fainted. They are quite possibly the cutest pumpkin dessert I'd ever seen. I vowed to make them immediately.

I knew mine wouldn't turn out as pretty as Bakerella's version (cuz let's face it -- she is good). But I can live with that.

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs

1 tspn cinnamon

1/2 tspn ginger

1/2 tspn nutmeg

1/2 tspn salt

2 packages roll-out refridgerated dough

Directions

1. With wire whisk, beat pumpkin, condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt. Set aside.

2. Roll out dough with roller to make it a thinner consistency. Use a pumpkin cookie cutter to create pumpkin shapes, and press the dough into mini-muffin tin, making sure to keep the stem sticking out.

3. Spoon filling into the cups so that it is just about (or slightly less than) full.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of one the pumkins comes out clean and crust is golden brown.

My notes:

*When you roll out the dough, be judicious with how you are cutting out the pumpkin shapes. Cut them out very close together and try to eliminate scraps as much as possible. I figured I would just lump the scraps together and re-roll it out to make more, but the more I handled the dough, the less it wanted to cooperate and stretch out, so handle it and roll it as little as possible.

*Using two packages of the roll-out dough will get you about 24 mini pumpkin pies. With this pumpkin pie recipe, you'll have a LOT of batter left over. Luckily, I had bought frozen pie shells recently, expecting that I would want to make pumpkin pie on a whim. So I poured the rest of the batter into a frozen pie shell and popped it in the oven. For the pie, bake it at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, and then reduce the temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the pie about one inch from the crust comes out clean.


Full disclosure: I added WAY more whipped cream after I took that picture.