Mini Pumpkin Pie Tartlets

What is even better than pumpkin pie? Mini pumpkin pies that are bite size! These are dangerously good. You don't feel bad about popping one of these little bites of heaven in your mouth..but that could lead to "just one more"....so proceed with caution. The filling recipe is actually the recipe for "Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie" on the back of the can except I swapped out evaporated milk and used whipping cream. I have made many pumpkin pies over the years and I really like the spice blend in this recipe. For these tartlets I used half of a normal pumpkin pie recipe. You can double this and make 48 mini pumpkin pies if you want.

Mini Pumpkin Pie Tartlets

• half of a 15oz can of pumpkin puree
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 large egg (1 to be mixed with the pumpkin and one for egg wash)
• 6oz whipping cream (3/4 cup)
  
• 1 box refrigerated pie crust (it will have 2 sheets of dough in the box)
• caramel & whipped cream *optional*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt...set aside. Beat one of the eggs either in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and combined spices to the egg. Mix well the incorporate. Slowly add the whipping cream to the pumpkin mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.



Lightly flour your work surface and unroll one of the pie crusts. Using a 3 inch round cookie cutter (or the bottom of a small 3 inch bowl) cut out circles of dough. Make sure that you position the cookie cutter to get as many rounds of dough as you can. Gently place the cut dough in the bottom of a mini muffin tin. Take any scrap dough and re-roll it. I was able to get 9 rounds from the first cut and then when I re-rolled the dough I got three more. Continue this process with the other pie crust to fill a total of 24 mini muffin tins.

Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl and gently brush the outside edges only of the pie crust. This was give it a great shine and help it get a beautiful golden brown color. Remember, you only need to brush the crust the comes over the top edge.

Fill each mini pie with 1 heaping tablespoon of pumpkin filling, or fill until it comes right to the top. You don't want it to overflow, but you do want it filled up. These will sink a little once they cool, so under filling them isn't a good idea.

Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes or until cooked through (insert a toothpick and it should come out clean) and the crust is light golden brown.

Allow them to cool completely and then remove them from the muffin tin.

I decided to melt a few caramels with the tiniest bit of cream and then drizzle it over the top. I topped it all off with a little whipped cream. These came out fantastic! I hope you enjoy!