Baking | Gluten Free Nectarine Mini Pies

Kind of a mix between a tart and a pie, I baked these delicious little bites the other day.  I needed something sweet to round out our picnic basket and since we’ve (Hugo & I) been on a stone fruit kick lately, I had some gorgeous nectarines sitting on my counter.  And after some text message debate with my sister Brooke (who apparently isn’t into handpies because “to much crust to fruit ratio”, picky picky…)

I started with my old faithful, Martha Stewart’s Pate Brisee recipe from her Baking cookbook.  I cannot recommend this cookbook enough! Pate Brisse, a french pie dough, is is one of my most used recipes AND “MS Baking Handbook ” is one of my most used cookbooks.  It has every basic baking recipe along with the traditional techniques in order to het the best results.  My hands down favorite pie crust recipe of all time is her “Pate Brisee”, it comes together quickly in a food processor and always bakes up flaky and perfect.  I’ve made it a gazillion times and never had a problem.  Even after I switched to gluten free baking, this one has stayed perfect.  I make it according to the recipe and sub the flour with Cup 4 Cup Gluten Free Flour.  This is a classic pie dough recipe and can be used with sweet or savory fillings (like quiche or chicken pot pie).

|  GLUTEN FREE NECTARINE MINI PIES  |

2 fresh  Nectarines, thinly sliced

2 TBL  Strawberry Jam

1 TBL  Lemon Juice

1/2 BATCH of Pate Brisee recipe

Combine jam and juice until mixture is runny and toss with nectarines until coated.  Let rest while you prepare the pie dough.

Chill  dough and roll out to a 1/4″ thickness.  Cut circles using a large round biscuit cutter and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Carefully place several slices of nectarine into the very middle of the crust and gently fold/flip the edges up.  Add another slice or two of nectarine to the top and then lightly sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar.  Pop the entire pan into the fridge or freezer and chill.  Remember the Golden Rule of Pastry “WORK COLD, BAKE HOT!”  The colder you keep your ingredients right until you bake, the better your final result will be.  Bake at 375 for 20 minutes and add an additional 5 minutes if needed.  Cool and enjoy!