Blueberry Shortbread Mini Pies - butter

Method

• 1. Very lightly spray the bottom of 18 wells of a standard-sized muffin pan(s) with baking spray. Set pan(s) aside.
• 2. Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and combine it using a mixer on medium low speed until it looks creamy and has lightened a bit in color.
• 3. Then add the vanilla extract and stir to fully incorporate.
• 4. Put the flour into another bowl. Stir salt into the flour. Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 2-3 batches, stirring in between. Stir until well combined and dough starts to come together.
• 5. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap onto a clean, flat surface. Turn the dough out onto the plastic wrap.
• 6. Form the dough into a ball and then flatten it into a 1/2-inch high rectangle. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap. Pop the dough into the fridge for 20 minutes or so.
• 7. Preheat oven to 350 F.
• 8. Unwrap the chilled dough, and roll it out evenly on a floured surface until it's about 1/4 inch thick. Use a 3-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter to cut 18 circles of dough, rerolling the dough scraps as necessary. (If you don't have a 3" round cutter, the edge of a large drinking glass will do.)
• 9. Place the circles in the center of the prepared muffin tin wells. Gently press the centers down to form a crust. Do not press the dough roughly, it should barely change shape at all. Refrigerate the dough in the pans for 15 minutes.
• 10. Remove the pans from the refrigerator and place a single layer of blueberries onto each dough "crust." I usually fit about 6-8 blueberries in each, depending on the size of the berries. Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon of granulated sugar over each of the berry pies.
• 11. Bake at 350 F for 14 minutes, or until the edges are very lightly browned.
• 12. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pans. Then gently run a thin paring knife around the edges of the pies to loosen and pop them out of the wells of the pans. Allow pies to cool completely on a cooling rack before serving. Leftover pies should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days.
• Variations: Fresh raspberries or chopped fresh peaches can be substituted for the blueberries.