Pumpkin pie is one of my favorite ways to celebrate during the holidays (or anytime of the year if I’m being honest!). Pumpkin adds such a aromatic warmness to baking, isn’t it just wonderful! I love to serve one of these mini pumpkin pies with a dollop of fresh whipped cream!

Now these are called mini pumpkin pies but really they are a reasonable size because you use a muffin tray to create them! I would describe these as more ‘individual‘ pumpkin pies.

These is something so dainty about these pumpkin pies and I feel like there is something so much more personal when you make individual desserts for your family and friends, like you are putting in a special effort just for them. Then they feel like you really love and care about them! (Some may not but OH WELL!).

Typically I make my pie crust pastry by hand instead of using a food processor! The reason I do it by hand is, you’ll be able to stop rubbing the butter into the flour once the texture is like sand with chunks of almond sized butter. A food processor makes it the texture of sand with no chunks of butter so quickly!

You want and need these chunks of butter because that is what makes the pastry deliciously golden, crusty and flaky. When you roll out your pastry hopefully you will see some of the butter marbling. Homemade FLAKY PASTRY!!!! is kind of the most tasty thing in the world.

Tips For The Best Pie Crust Pastry:

• Extremely cold butter cut into cubes

• Only use your finger tips for rubbing the butter into the flour, the palm of your hands are too warm which causes the butter to melt and you’ll lose the flaky pastry texture in the end.

• Rub the butter into the flour as quickly as possible.

• I use vinegar in my pastry dough, it helps shorten the pastry to create that golden crust.

• If you HAVE to use water if for some reason your dough is unable to come together (remember its supposed to be a dry dough) then use ice cold water and only add the tiniest bit at a time.

Tips For Making Mini Pumpkin Pies:

• I make fresh pumpkin puree for my baking but canned pumpkin puree is perfectly fine too! Plus I know it’s a lot easier and quite frankly who has the time! But because of my job I have the time to do it.

• Use full fat cream, it does make a difference to the pie filling.

• Add a pinch of salt, it will balance all the sweetness in the pie.

• Yes this is a pumpkin pie recipe without condensed milk!

Enjoy your pumpkin pies!

Paige x

P.s. Don’t worry if yours are a little wonky, mine always are!