Four Petite Pies

There are so many different types of pie filling in this world. Since I had extra butter almond crust from my last pie and have been longing to experiment with not so typical fillings this was the perfect opportunity! These flavor ideas have been mingling in my mind for a while now and by using 4 small ramekins I was able to bake a small amount of four different flavors.

Crust: Recipe on previous post (Butter Almond Crust)
Roll out the dough and use a circular object to cut round pieces of crust (I used a small bowl) and line the ramekins (you can use small glass jars or a muffin tin as well).

All of the pies cook at 375 degrees & use a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. 

Pear Ginger Pie: A spicy pie- the pear and ginger work well together, I would recommend less grated ginger than I used since it is a strong flavor.
1/2 of a pear (peeled and cut into bite sized pieces)
1/8 tsp tapioca
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp grated ginger

Apple Paprika Pie: My favorite combination out of the four. I would use more paprika next time since the flavor is more subtle. With the amount I used it tastes like apple pie with something more that you can not quite pinpoint.
1/2 apple (peeled and cut into bite sized pieces)
1/8 tsp tapioca
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp paprika

Beet Almond Mint Pie: For beet lovers only! I love beets and it does have a nice flavor, but I do not necessarily want to keep eating it.
2 small beets (I used precooked beets from the refrigerated section at trader joes)
1/8 tapioca
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp minced mint

Berry Almond Rosemary Pie: Flavors combined nicely. The rosemary gives it a little something extra.
1/2 cup berries (I used a frozen mix- blackberry/blueberry/raspberry)
1/8 tsp tapioca
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp chopped rosemary

 

Directions for all pies:
In a small saucepan over low heat mix together the sugar (you can use less than 2 tbsp, mine was a tad sweet), tapioca, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and the flavorings (herbs & extracts). Combine thoroughly, then add the fruit. Stir together so that all of the flavors have the chance to combine and the mixture begins to become liquidy.
Scoop the filling into a ramekin and pour the remaining liquid over the top.   

Topping: Since I cared more about the filling and less about the topping I did not think about it too much. I recommend using less sugar, adding flour, and butter. The pies were a little too sweet and I believe it was mainly from the topping.
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl and cover each of the pies with the mixture.
Place the ramekins on a cooking sheet and back in a 375 degree oven for 10-20 minutes. (mine took 20- I recommend setting for 10 and checking on them). The apple took a bit longer to cook than the others.

All in all I would consider this a successful attempt at unique petite pies: considering I did not use any type of recipe and I am lousy at math=amounts.