I love ripe, red strawberries all year round, but there is something extra special about strawberries and summer! I was getting ready to have a cook out with our family, and I thought about making a strawberry pie like they used to serve at the famous restaurant with the statue of a chubby dark haired boy out front. I found a similar recipe to the one I loved at that restaurant and the pie disappeared quickly!!! It was so good that I decided to make mini pies for this Instructable. I hope you give this recipe a try. You can use a ready made crust or make your own for a regular size pie. I have my mini pie maker so I thought it would be fun to use that for my recipe. They turned out great and were such a treat! Follow along to see how you can easily make them this summer for your family and friends!!!

Step 1: Crust Ingredients

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

3 tablespoons ice water

Step 2: Supplies for the Crust

Cooking mat

mixing bowl

butter knife

rolling pin

plastic wrap

electric mini pie maker

Step 3: Make the Crust

Add the flour, salt and sugar to a mixing bowl. Stir to blend.

Step 4: Cube the Butter

Cut the very cold butter into quarters lengthwise, then slice, forming small cubes.

Step 5: Add the Butter

Add the butter to the dry ingredients in the bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it is about the size of small peas. Spoon in ice water. Mix the pastry ingredients with the butter knife.

Step 6: Form a Ball of Dough

Form the dough into a ball and knead for 30 seconds until smooth.

Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Step 7: Roll and Cut

When you are ready to roll out the pastry, remove it from the refrigerator. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before rolling out with a rolling pin. Use the cutter that came with the pie maker to cut large pastry rounds from the pastry sheet. Re-roll the scraps as necessary to form 5 pastry rounds.

Step 8: Press Gently

Spray the pie cavities with cooking spray, if desired. Gently ease and press 2 pastry rounds into the pie maker.

Step 9: Bake Them

Plug in the pie maker to turn it on. Close and bake for 10 minutes or until the pie crusts are golden. Repeat with remaining crusts.

Step 10: Set the Crusts Aside

Here are the baked crusts. Set them aside to be filled later.

Step 11: Strawberry Filling Ingredients

8 ounces fresh strawberries

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dry strawberry gelatin

red food coloring

Red sugar sprinkles

Step 12: Supplies for the Filling

saucepan

cutting board

spurtle or wooden spoon

spoon

sharp knife

Step 13: Start the Strawberry Sauce

To a saucepan, add water, sugar, and cornstarch. Stir to combine. Place over medium heat until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes until thickened.

Step 14: Add Gelatin

Stir in dry strawberry gelatin. Add 5 drops of red food coloring, if desired. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.

Step 15: Prepare the Strawberries

Wash the strawberries and cut off the tops. Cut into bite-sized pieces.

Step 16: Top the Crusts

Add the cut strawberries to the mini pie crusts.

Step 17: Add the Strawberry Gelatin

Spoon strawberry gelatin mixture over strawberries. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, until set.

Step 18: Whipped Cream Supplies

mixer with whip attachment

piping bag with tip

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Step 19: Make Whipped Cream

Whip the heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla with the electric mixer on medium-low speed just until foamy.

Turn the speed up to medium-high. Continue to whip until the cream forms stiff peaks.

Step 20: Ready to Pipe

Spoon the whipped cream into your piping bag, pushing the cream to the tip.

Step 21: Pipe on the Cream

Pipe the whipped cream onto the strawberries in the mini pies.

Step 22: Now Sprinkle

Add a sprinkling of red sugar on top, if desired.

Step 23: Ready to Eat!

Here are the completed Summery Strawberry Mini Pies! You can easily double the recipe if you have more guests or if you just want to make more pies! They are a wonderful treat any time, all summer long!!!