Pretty Little Cranberry Pear Pies

LilPinkieJ's Note:

This recipe is from "The Little Book of Christmas Cooking". It is full of these great little recipes designed for kids to do with adults, with easy step by step instructions. - The book has a tip that you don't need to peel canned pears, so that might be easier for kids. I think that fresh pears always work better. You will also need a 2 inch round cookie cutter and a small star shaped cookie cutter (smaller than the round).

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 12

Yield: 12.0 pies

• 1 (15 ounce) package ready-made pie crusts
• 1 small orange
• 1 1/2 teaspoons butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 soft bosc pears or 4 canned pear halves
• milk, for glazing
• powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. Take the pie crust out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before you start so that it is room temperature.
2. Zest and juice half of the orange. Put the zest and juice of the orange into a saucepan. Then add the butter, brown sugar, cranberries, and cinnamon.
3. Carefully peel the pears with a vegetable peeler. Cut them into quarters and cut out the cores. Cut the quarters into small pieces. If using canned pears, just cut them into small pieces.
4. Put the pears into the pan. Gently heat the mixture on low for 10 minutes. Keep stirring the mixture so that it doesn't stick to the bottom. Take it off the heat and let it cool completely.
5. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
6. Dust your rolling pin and a clean work surface with a little bit of flour. Do not use too much flour or the dough will get tough. Roll out the pastry until it is about 1/4 inch thick.
7. With the round cutter, cut 12 circles from the dough. Press the scraps together to make a ball and set aside.
8. Press the circles into the muffin tins. Put a heaped teaspoon of the pear mixture into each cup.
9. Roll out the ball of dough again and cut out 12 stars with the star cutter. Lay the stars on the pies, then brush milk over the tops. The milk will make the pastry shiny when it is cooked.
10. Bake the pies for 20 minutes, until they are golden. Remove them from the oven and let them cool in the tray for 10 minutes.
11. Using a blunt knife, lift the pies onto a plate. Put a little powdered sugar into a sieve and sprinkle the sugar over the pies.
12. The pies can be eaten warm or cold. You could serve the pies with a spoonful of whipped cream.