Pilates ? I thought you said Pie+Lattes !

Oh you pretty Mini Pie ! Just like love at first sight , these pretties make me feel super happy and holiday-ie right away . However , as appealing as they may seem on an Instagram post , these mini pies can be a one-way ticket to pie- disappointment in the home kitchen , if not attended to well . These mini's need some amount of patience and practice to get the crust right and will definitely demand their share of your time in the kitchen while making . I always do these mini's for a smaller audience ( lesser number to make ! ) and go with its larger cousin , whenever i am cooking for a group meal or larger guest list . However , the best part of baking Mini - Pie's is that , if the filling options are pre- planned , one can make several different variations , all at once . Even though the making of the pastry crust needs to be by the book , the filling options give enough room to one to experiment .

Another thing I always keep in mind while making them , is the size of the filling portion - which , also need's to be in mini in size , in order to give every thing enough space to cook through . For the top cover , I sometimes do the pastry lattice or a simple round pastry lid , depending upon the time that I have in hand! Also , always remember , that these mini versions take very little time to bake , when compared to its full pie cousin . I therefore bake these for a maximum of 15 mins on one side and then rotate and bake for another 5-10 minutes on the other , keeping an keen eye on them and removing them from the oven , the instant they are nice and golden brown .

This Chicken and leek creamy filling combination makes this pie a fantastic savory dinner time option . For the Pastry crust and tips on making it - you can refer my earlier recipe post on this link https://www.thehungryboy.in/post/mini-tarts-with-bitter-chocolate-orange-custard-and-marmalade-filling

Things you will need to make the filling ( Makes 06 Mini - Pie's )

• 01- 02 chicken breasts , chopped into small bite size pieces

• 02 tbsp butter

• 02 full leeks , finely chopped

• 02 cloves of garlic , crushed

• 01 tbsp plain flour

• 01/ 3rd cup milk

• 02 - 03 tbsp white wine ( optional )

• 02 tbsp frozen peas or fresh pea's

• Sea salt flakes

• Freshly ground black pepper

For the pastry crust

• Pastry dough ( Refer https://www.thehungryboy.in/post/mini-tarts-with-bitter-chocolate-orange-custard-and-marmalade-filling)

• 01 egg yolk , beaten and mixed together with 01 tbsp water , for the egg wash

Steps to follow to make the filling :

• In a large pan , melt the butter on low heat .

• To this , add in the leek together with the pea's and saute them for 2 minutes , until softened .

• Next , add in the chicken pieces along with the crushed garlic and cook for a further 02 minutes. At this point , stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds , stirring constantly.

• Then , slowly pour the milk into the pan , just a little at a time, stirring well between each addition .

• Now , gradually add in the white wine ( if using ) stirring until the sauce is smooth and thickened slightly. Bring to a gentle simmer ( Approx another 3 minutes )

• Season the mix with salt and pepper and pour into a large bowl to cool - Keep aside

To assemble the pie's :

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius

• Divide the pastry dough into half & reserve one portion for the pie lids .

• Roll out pastry dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12 inch round circle .

• Using a 3 inch cookie cutter , cut out 06 small circles .

• Baste the mould's liberally with butter and line them individually with these 3 inch dough circles . Press the dough down with the sides of your fingers to avoid any air bubbles from remaining inside .

• Next - Pour 01 tbsp of the chicken- leek filling into each pie mould.

• Brush the rim of the individual pie's lightly with the beaten wash.

• Roll out the reserved pastry dough and cut 06 more 2 inch circles to form the pie lids

• Cover the pie's with the pastry lid's and press the edges together firmly to seal - using your fingers or a fork .

• Make a small hole in the center of the pie lid with the tip of a knife , for the steam to escape while baking .

• Glaze the top of each the pie with the beaten egg wash

• Bake the pie's on the preheated tray for 20 minutes on one side , then flip and bake the other side till golden brown.

• Serve piping hot with a nice greek yogurt dip or dip of your choice .