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I love having strawberry shortcake all year, but I especially love it in summer when the berries are perfectly in season. Thanks to the sponsorship of Driscoll’s strawberries, I’m bringing you a new version of strawberry shortcake – in pie form!
They’re the perfect way to have your strawberry shortcake…and your pie too!
I wasn’t a huge fruit person when I was a kid (and, really, I’m still not). Strawberries were one of the only three fruits I’d eat – and that’s still the case today. If we’re ever at a party together and fruit salad is served, just watch me serve myself. You’ll notice strawberries are pretty much the only thing on my plate and I’m not too shy – I’ll dig deep for them in the bowl!
Whenever I open a clamshell of strawberries, the smell reminds me of my childhood. There was a strawberry field near the RV park in Anaheim we always stayed. The smell of ripening strawberries would fill our nostrils in the early morning air as we’d walk to Disneyland. I cannot smell strawberries without thinking of those trips!
Since National Strawberry Shortcake Day is coming up soon, I decided I needed to make my own version to celebrate.
But I decided to make it in pie form. I’m ME, you know.
Last week, when I opened a basket of Driscoll’s strawberries fresh from the store, I was again transplanted to my childhood. Strawberries are abundant here in California, but I prefer Driscoll’s berries because I like them the best. They’re the freshest and the juiciest, and they stay good the longest. #truth
Since Driscoll’s has been the strawberry in everyone’s shortcake for more than 100 years, I decided that it needed to be in mine, STAT.
Enter your newest favorite way to eat Strawberry Shortcake: in pie form!
Strawberry shortcake is awesome – but it’s messy. It’s not really finger food in its true form. You need a plate and a fork and lots of napkins (at least in my house – whipped cream usually outweighs the shortcake!) That’s why these pies are perfect – they’re one little bite and they stand up on their own.
Y’all know I love mini pies. I’m sort of addicted to them, and I have about a gazillion versions (give or take a few). I think this one is one of my favorites yet because I baked a cupcake inside.
Yes, you read that right. It’s a cupcake, baked inside a mini pie crust. Then it’s topped with fresh whipped cream and the star of the show: fresh strawberries.
These literally come together in minutes, and they’re perfect for serving at any party. Finally, a strawberry shortcake that isn’t too messy!
And it has a crust. Could it get any better?
I think not.
Mini Strawberry Shortcake Pies
Ingredients
Pies:
- 1 pie crust from a pack of two or from scratch
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup milk
Topping:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream cold
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 16 ounce package Driscoll’s strawberries hulled and sliced in half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two mini muffin pans with cooking spray (I like using the kind with flour for these pies).
- Unroll your pie crust and cut 2 1/2” circles using a round cookie cutter. Press one into each mini muffin cavity. You should get about 18-20 with re-rolling the dough. Chill until filling is ready.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk melted butter, sugar, and egg until thick and yellow (about 30 seconds by hand). Whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Switch to a wooden spoon or spatula and add the milk and the dry ingredients alternately, stirring in between each addition.
- Place 1 tablespoon of the batter in each prepared pie crust. You will have some batter left over; you can bake these in the remaining mini muffin tin cavities not being used for your pies (2 tablespoons per cupcake).
- Bake mini shortcake pies for 10-13 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before removing from the pan.
- They should pop right out, but if needed you can use the tip of a knife to help ease them out.
- Make the topping by placing the whipping cream in the bowl of a stand mixer and whipping on high using the whisk attachment. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla while mixing. Whip until peaks form (just a few minutes in a stand mixer; longer with a hand mixer).
- Right before serving, place whipped cream in a pastry bag or gallon size ziploc bag and pipe onto each mini shortcake pie. (I used a 1M tip to make the swirls; just snip off the tip of the bag and insert the tip before adding the whipped cream.) Top with half a strawberry.
- The whipped cream can be made a few hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator. I recommend cutting the berries close to when you are serving them. The mini shortcake pies (without their topping) can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 1 month.
Be sure to check out more Driscoll’s Strawberry Shortcake Inspiration recipes and enter their sweepstakes to win a KitchenAid Stand Mixer and berries for a year!
How do YOU like to eat your strawberry shortcake?
Last Updated on May 13, 2020