Patriotic 2-bite Mini Fruit Pies

I thought I posted these in the past but can't find, so at the risk of another repeat here's how to make these easy mini bite-sized pies for your Fourth of July celebrations - you can easily change the flavors (click here to see one post I found for different flavors) but blueberry and cherry are color perfect for a red, white, and blue kind of day!

One big reason they are so easy is I totally "cheat" and use refrigerated pie dough (like the Pillsbury kind rolled up in a box) and canned pie filling! And I do not feel guilty about using these shortcuts, they are great - everyone loves them, so why make this harder than it needs to be?

Sprinkle your counter with a little flour, lay out one sheet of dough and roll it out so it's a little thinner. Using a small glass or biscuit cutter, cut out circles about 2.25" that will fit into a mini-cupcake sized pan sprayed with non-stick baking spray.

Using my small cookie dough scoop I fill the cups about 3/4th full, too full and they'll bubble over (which makes a mess in the oven, trust me). Bake at 400' for approx 12 minutes until the edges of the crust are browned. Cool for a few minutes in the pan and then carefully remove to a cooling rack (I use a small knife to help lift them out).

Even not filling them too full you might get a little run-over. I lay pieces of aluminum foil on a shelf rack below the pans to catch any drips. Easier clean up.

You could finish with a drizzle of icing if you want - in a small bowl mix together powdered sugar with a little milk; then either put the mixture in a small baggie and snip one end, or dip the tines of a fork in the mixture and drizzle over the pies. You might want to put something under to catch the icing drips or you'll have a very messy counter.