Healthy Holiday Desert for Seniors

Mini Pumpkin Pies

Ingredients:

Cooking spray or melted butter, for muffin tin

1 batch basic pie dough

All-purpose flour, for surface

1 1/3 c. (300 g.) pumpkin puree

1 c. (235 ml.) sweetened condensed milk

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. ground cinnamon, plus more for serving

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

3/4 c. (175 ml.) heavy whipping cream

Milk chocolate bar, chilled, for serving (optional)

Directions:

Step 1

Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°. Spray bottoms and sides of a 24-cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray or brush with butter.

Step 2

On a lightly floured surface, roll pie dough to about 1/8" thick. Cut out rounds using a 3" cutter. Reroll scraps and cut more rounds as needed until you have 24.

Step 3

Transfer rounds to prepared muffin tin, pressing dough into bottom and up sides. Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 15 minutes.

Step 4

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, condensed milk, egg, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and nutmeg until smooth and well combined.

Step 5

Spoon filling into prepared muffin cups to reach almost all the way up the sides (about 1 heaped tablespoon), or pour in filling.

Step 6

Bake pies until center is set and puffed and edges are golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes (pies will deflate as they cool). Using a small offset spatula or a spoon, gently remove pies from tin and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely.

Step 7

In a large bowl, whip cream to soft peaks. Top pies with a dollop of whipped cream. (Place off-center if pies have decoration.) Shave chocolate on top of pies with a vegetable peeler, if using. Sprinkle with cinnamon.