An all-time favorite fruit pie—strawberry-rhubarb—is utterly charming in miniature. These pielets would be welcome at a family reunion, graduation party, or other summer occasion. Baking the lattice-topped pies in mini muffin tins makes large batches easy to manage. If you’d like to serve the pielets à la mode, use a melon baller to form tiny scoops of ice cream.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 2 dozen
Ingredients
For the Crust
For the Filling
Preparation
Step 1
Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse flour, granulated sugar, salt, vegetable shortening, and butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time; pulse until dough just comes together. Divide dough in half; flatten into 2 disks. Wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 1 day.
Step 2
Make the filling: In a bowl, toss together strawberries, rhubarb, zest, juice, liqueur, and granulated sugar.
Step 3
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 mini-muffin tins with cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut out 24 rounds using a 3 1/2-inch round cutter; press into cups. Reroll scraps, and using a pastry wheel, cut twenty-eight 1/4-inch strips for lattice. Refrigerate or freeze shells and lattice strips until firm, about 30 minutes.
Step 4
Strain fruit mixture and discard liquid; place 2 tablespoons in each tartlet shell. Lightly beat eggs and brush edge of each shell with egg wash. For each row of tartlets, arrange 2 dough strips lengthwise across muffin tin. Place 2 more dough strips crosswise, weaving a lattice over tartlets. Brush with egg wash. Use a 2 1/4-inch round cutter to trim excess dough. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Transfer tins to baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, 60 to 70 minutes.
Step 5
Use a wooden skewer to gently loosen edges of pielets and remove from pans while still hot; if you wait until they cool, fruit juices may harden and make pielets stick. Transfer pielets to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Serve at room temperature. Pielets can be stored at room temperature up to 1 day.
