What are you all doing for the Fourth of July? We’re looking forward to dinner with friends. If you’re looking for a healthy, easy, and festive dessert, try these mini pies. Are they still pies without a bottom crust? If you want more of that buttery delicious crust, just press into the bottoms of jars or ramekins.  These mini pies are perfect for one or two people, or for a crowd. I just made two today for B (3.5) and I for an afternoon treat.

Mini Berry Pies 
printer friendly recipe 
Makes one mini pie

1 cup fresh blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or diced strawberries
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon flour
small pinch lemon zest
one prepared pie crust
 2-3 inch star cookie cutter (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Stir berries with sugar, flour, and lemon zest. Fill small jars, ramekins, or mini pie or tart dishes. The fruit will cook down, so really pack it in the jars.
Roll out dough on a floured surface. Cut out stars or circles. Brush tops of dough with a little milk or cream and sprinkle with sugar to make it extra pretty and tasty. The top crust now can be done two ways. The crust dough can be placed on the uncooked fruit in the jar at this point and all cooked together. If using a star shape, some of the fruit juice may bubble over the star. For a more perfect shape, place dough cut-outs on a cookie sheet and bake until lightly browned and then top the cooked fruit. If covering the entire top with a circle, cut a slit in the top before baking so steam can escape.
Either way, bake pies for 15 minutes or until bubbly.