Needed:
Canning jar lids
Pie shells
Fruit or other pie filling
Whip cream or other toppings (optional)
If you admit it, I will. I enjoy outdoing my friends and family members – in a friendly sort of way – when it comes to throwing parties, making things for my kids and my home, and creating fabulous but easy foods for any occasion or day I like to compete. That’s not to say that I’m always the one who comes up with the best of whatever it is. Sometimes one of them outshines me; sometimes they all do. But we like to secretly come up with new ideas and then spring them on each other at a party or during a drop-by visit. Okay, I admitted it so you can. It’s fun, isn’t it? You’ll giggle and gloat, while they gasp, when you make Mason jar lid pies. They’re tiny, cute, party-worthy, and luscious.
Mason jar lid pies – and other desserts – are definitely going to catch the eyes of your guests. No matter what kind of pies you make your friends won’t recognize the familiar Mason jar lids, even if they do canning jar crafts. That’s because the pies are so noticeable, and the jar logos can’t be seen, so the desserts get the focus. Now, instead of having to make big pies, and cut them to serve, you can give miniature ones. Plus, you won’t have to go out and buy a bunch of pie pans. Give the Mason or Ball jar to each guest after the party. If a dessert hasn’t been eaten or finished, it can be put in a squat Ball jar, and carried home – along with the party favor that is the pie and jar.
Make your own crust or just buy refrigerated pie dough. Roll it out and then use the lid of a Mason jar to cut out two circles for each pie. The lid of a Mason or Ball jar has two pieces: the ring and the flat lid. You’ll use the lid, not the ring. Cut the circles, put one in each two-piece lid, and press it in place. Make sure the rubber seal on the jar is facing down.
Put cherry, apple, or blueberry pie filling in the pie shells. Or, fill each one with a different pie filling. Cover with the top shell, pinch the edges together, and bake according to the recipe or package. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely and then remove the rings from the lids.
There are many different desserts that you can serve in a canning jar lid, including a graham cracker crust with a pudding filling, fruit and whipped cream in a baked crust, or even peanut butter and jelly in a bread crust. Pile the dessert with whip cream and/or other toppings to make it look a bit larger than it is.