Make Ahead
Lavender Thyme Strawberry Rhubarb Mini Pies with Almond Crumble and Fennel Crust
- Makes 15 Mini Pies
Author Notes
Lavender Thyme Infused Strawberry Rhubarb Miniature Pies with Almond Crumble and Fennel Seed Crust —Johanna's Table
What You'll Need
Ingredients
- Pie Crust
-
2
Homemade or Trader Joe's Pie Crust (enough for 2 9-inch crusts)
-
1 tablespoon
pestled fennel seeds
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1
egg white only
-
Coconut Oil Spray
- Filling and Crumble
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1 pound
fresh strawberries, diced
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1 pound
fresh rhubarb, diced
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3/4 cup
cane sugar
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1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
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1/2 teaspoon
almond extract
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1/4 cup
cornstarch
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1
lemon, squeezed
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4
sprigs of thyme, leaves only
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2 tablespoons
butter
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1/4 cup
light brown sugar
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1 tablespoon
culinary lavender
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3/4 cup
flour
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1/2 cup
sliced blanched almonds
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1/2 cup
light brown sugar
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3/4 cup
dark brown sugar
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5 tablespoons
butter, chopped into cubes
Directions
- Either make your homemade pie crust or if you have to buy a store bought one the best I have every had is the one from Trader Joe's in the frozen section; With a mortar and pestle, crush the fennel seeds as much as possible until they become a powder. Sift through sieve to get one tablespoon worth of the fennel seed powder; Combine the one tablespoon of fennel seed powder with the pie crust dough and knead together until evenly distributed and form into a ball. Place in fridge if too soft; Roll out the dough on a floured surface with a rolling pin until flattened; Spray your cupcake pan with coconut oil; Using a circular cookie cutter or a knife, cut out a 4 inch circle or so and press it into the cupcake pan to make sure the dough is well situated and there are no air bubbles; Repeat for each one, should make 15 with filling; Use remaining pie crust with a ravioli cutter to create a trim for the miniature pies like the one in the picture; and Brush egg white on each pie crust.
- To create the crumble, combine the flour, dark brown sugar, light brown sugar, sliced almonds together and use pestle to break up the almonds and sugar; and Add the cubes of butter and mix it with your hands until you have a flour crumble that is well mixed. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F; To create the filling, place the butter, culinary lavender and thyme leaves in a pan large enough to hold on the remaining ingredients over medium-low heat; Once the butter is melted and the mixture begins to smoke ever so slightly, add the lemon juice and rhubarb stir together for a couple minutes; Reduce the heat to low and add the sugars, extracts and strawberries. Mix well; Lastly, add the cornstarch and remove from heat once well mixed. This is just to help with the cooking process in the oven, not to actually fully cook the ingredients. Using a medium/ small laddle, scoop mixture into each miniature pie crust. I like to scoop the rhubarb and strawberries out first and then place the remaining liquid in each to make sure it is evenly distributed; Top with the almond crumble using your hands; Bake in oven at 350 F on the middle rack for 45-60 minutes; and Let cool completely before removing from the cupcake pan.
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