Description
Delight in these adorable Mini Strawberry Pies featuring a buttery, flaky crust filled with a luscious diplomat cream and fresh strawberries. Perfect for a sophisticated dessert or an elegant party treat, these pies combine a tender homemade crust with a creamy custard enriched by gelatin for stability, topped with fresh fruit for a refreshing finish.
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 375 g All purpose flour
- 270 g Unsalted butter (82% fat, very cold)
- 120 g Water (very cold)
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
Diplomat Cream
- 500 g Whole milk (3% fat)
- 100 g Granulated sugar
- 80 g Egg yolk (approx. yolk of 4-5 eggs)
- 25 g Corn starch
- 25 g All-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 50 g Unsalted butter (82% fat, room temperature soft)
- 3 Gelatin sheets (3×1.7g=5g gelatin overall)
- 200 g Heavy cream (very cold, 36% fat)
Topping and Assembly
- 250 g Strawberries (fresh, sliced)
- Mint leaves for decoration
- Egg wash: 1 egg yolk + milk (for brushing pie crust)
Instructions
- Prepare Mini Pie Crust: Mix flour and salt, then chill in the freezer. Cut cold butter into small chunks and chill them as well.
- Incorporate Butter: Rub cold butter chunks into flour mixture until sand-like.
- Add Water and Form Dough: Add very cold water gradually, stirring and then working dough with hands until it holds together without overmixing. Chill dough disk wrapped in plastic for at least 2 hours.
- Roll Dough: Let dough sit briefly at room temperature to soften slightly, then roll into a 42×30 cm rectangle using silicone mats or floured surface, keeping dough cold to avoid sticking.
- Cut Dough Circles: Measure muffin pan holes and cut dough circles to fit, pressing dough lightly into the cavities of a flipped muffin tin. Freeze pie crust-lined mold for 10 minutes.
- Bake Pie Crusts: Preheat oven to 200°C (no fan). Bake pie crusts on the tin for 20 minutes, remove from tin, brush with egg wash, then bake further 5 minutes until golden brown.
- Make Diplomat Cream – Whisk Egg Mixture: Soak gelatin sheets in cold water. Whisk sugar and egg yolks until fluffy, then whisk in corn starch, flour, and vanilla to form smooth paste.
- Cook Pastry Cream: Heat milk to simmering, pour into egg mixture while whisking. Return to saucepan and cook on medium heat until thick and glossy, about 1 minute after boiling.
- Add Gelatin and Butter: Squeeze water from gelatin sheets and stir them into hot pastry cream. Mix in softened butter gradually until smooth.
- Cool and Whisk Pastry Cream: Cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap to avoid skin, then whisk gently 1-2 minutes for smooth texture.
- Fold in Whipped Cream: Whip very cold heavy cream to soft peaks and carefully fold into pastry cream in stages.
- Assemble Pies: Slice strawberries and place a layer in each cooled mini pie crust. Spoon or pipe diplomat cream on top. Garnish with additional strawberry slices and mint leaves.
- Serve and Store: Serve immediately or refrigerate leftovers for 2-3 days.
Notes
- Ensure all ingredients for pie crust are very cold to achieve a flaky texture.
- Do not overwork the dough; leave visible chunks of butter for better flakiness.
- Using silicone mats for rolling dough helps prevent sticking and cracking.
- Chilling dough before and after shaping helps maintain structure during baking.
- Egg wash enhances crust color and shine; mix yolk with a bit of milk for a smooth application.
- Gelatin stabilizes the diplomat cream, so do not omit it for best results.
- Carefully fold whipped cream into pastry cream to maintain light, fluffy texture.
- Store assembled pies in refrigerator; best consumed within 2-3 days to keep freshness.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus 2 hours chilling)
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
