These mini orange lemon pies have a citrus custard filling and a flaky pastry that is so delicious. The custard combines both orange juice and lemon zest which gives you the sweet tanginess of fresh oranges and the aroma of fresh lemons. Paired with cups of tea or coffee, they are delicious pastries to enjoy as an afternoon snack or fresh-tasting dessert.
To make the mini orange pies, you make a from-scratch dough by combining eggs with sugar, oil, flour, and baking powder. Then, they get assembled into individual tarts before being filled with a homemade orange custard, topped with balls of additional dough, and baked in the oven. Once chilled, the custard will be nice and creamy with a tangy, orange-flavored filling.
What are Mini Orange Lemon Pies?
Mini orange pies are mini tarts filled with an orange custard. While most pastry recipes include butter, this version uses vegetable oil, resulting in a dessert that is dairy-free. The filling uses a combination of orange juice and lemon zest, which gives it a beautiful orange flavor along with the scent of lemon.
Pro Tips
- Divide the dough into even portions to ensure that each tart has an equal amount of pastry.
- When making the custard on the stove, continuously whisk it to ensure that it doesn’t curdle.
- If you find that the custard curdles on the stove, you may be able to save it by pouring it through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any curdled chunks.
- Before removing the tarts from the pan, run a knife around the edges in case the tarts are sticking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Replace the Orange Juice With Lemon Juice?
Absolutely! If you would prefer the pies to have more of a lemon flavor rather than an orange flavor, you could replace the orange juice with freshly squeezed lemon juice instead. The filling will just be a little more tangy tasting.
How Do You Prevent the Mini Pies From Sticking to the Pan?
To prevent the pies from sticking to the pan, you should grease the muffin cups with butter or oil and dust them with flour. You should also run a knife around the pies once they have baked in case the custard leaked at all as that will also cause them to stick.
How to Tell That the Mini Orange Pies are Baked?
Once baked, the mini orange pies should be golden brown on their tops and bottoms, and the custard should be bubbling. If you think they seem a little pale by the time the recommended baking time has elapsed, you can keep them in the oven for a few minutes longer until they reach a perfect golden color.
How to Store Mini Orange Pies
Once baked and cooled, the pies can be placed in an airtight container or on a platter covered with plastic wrap. While they should keep at room temperature for 1 or 2 days, they should be stored in the fridge if you would like them to stay fresh for a little longer.
Ingredients
How to Make Mini Orange Pies
For the pastry, in a bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and oil. In another bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder until combined. Add the flour to the egg mixture, and mix until a dough forms.
For the pastry, in a bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and oil. In another bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder until combined. Add the flour to the egg mixture, and mix until a dough forms.
Grease nine muffin cups and dust them with flour. Divide the dough into nine portions and press them into the muffin cups. Shape the remaining dough into balls and freeze them for 30 minutes.
Grease nine muffin cups and dust them with flour. Divide the dough into nine portions and press them into the muffin cups. Shape the remaining dough into balls and freeze them for 30 minutes.
For the custard, whisk the orange juice with the lemon juice, lemon zest, water, sugar, and cornstarch in a pot. Cook it, while whisking, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
For the custard, whisk the orange juice with the lemon juice, lemon zest, water, sugar, and cornstarch in a pot. Cook it, while whisking, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Divide the custard between the tarts and garnish them with the balls. Bake them in a 400 F (200 C) oven for 25 minutes.
Divide the custard between the tarts and garnish them with the balls. Bake them in a 400 F (200 C) oven for 25 minutes.
Allow them to cool before serving. Enjoy!
Allow them to cool before serving. Enjoy!
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