Ground Cherry Cupcake Pies

Ingredients:

Pate Brisee (pie dough):

• 1 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Cubed, Chilled Earth Balance Margarine (or, a non-vegan option).
• 2 Tbs – 1/4 Cup Ice Water

Pies:

• 1 1/3 Cup Ground Cherries, de-husked and washed
• 1/4 Cup Sugar + 1/2 tsp Flour

Instructions:

For the Dough:

1. Add the flour, salt, sugar, and fats together in the work bowl of a food processor.
2. Pulse until the mixture looks like wet sand, with pea-sized lumps here and there.
3. Slowly drizzle in water while running the machine until the dough forms a ball. If in doubt, add less water as opposed to more.
4. Turn out the dough onto the counter and press to form a disc. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.

For the Pies:

1. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake papers. Spray lightly with oil. Place a scant tablespoon of dough into the bottom of each cup. Using a small glass dipped in water (one that has the same diameter of the bottom of the cupcake cup), press the dough to form a bottom crust.
2. Take small pieces of dough and build up the sides of the cup with dough, making sure the walls aren’t too thick.
3. At this point, you can use the glass again, dipped in water so it won’t stick, to neaten everything up if you want.
4. Place the shells in the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm up.
5. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Remove the shells from the fridge and fill to the top, slightly overflowing, with ground cherries (or whatever fruit you’re using).
6. Add 1/2 to 1 tsp of the sugar/flour mixture to each cup, depending on how sweet you want your pies. 1/2 tsp was sweet enough for me, allowing the flavor of the fruit to show through.  If you’re using something tangier or less sweet, you’ll want more sugar.
7. Cover the back of a cookie sheet with a sheet of plastic wrap. Add the rest of the pie dough, and cover with a second sheet. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/4-1/8″ thick. Using a glass that has a slightly larger diameter than the openings of the cupcake cups, stamp out six pie crust tops. Place this in the freezer for a few minutes, or into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
8. Once chilled, you should be able to easily peel out the tops and place them over your pies. Pinch the edges down, slash a X in the top with a sharp knife, and sprinkle with sugar. You can do other types of tops, such as lattice work, if desired.
9. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool for several minutes before gently removing them from the cupcake tin to cook completely.

http://veganyumyum.com/2008/09/ground-cherry-cupcake-pies/