5 INCH MINI PIE PANS RECIPES

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring the vegetables around, until they start to soften, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir to combine. Cook the flour-coated veggies for 1 minute, then pour in the chicken broth (and wine, if using!) and stir to combine. Let it heat up and start to bubble and thicken, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the chicken, then add the turmeric and thyme, then season with salt and pepper. Add the half-and-half, then stir the mixture and let it bubble up and thicken, about 3 minutes. If it seems overly thick, splash in a little more broth. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, roll out the pie crusts slightly and cut out 8 dough circles just a bit larger than the pie pans (if using a muffin tin, you'll need sixteen 3 3/4-inch circles). Press a dough circle into each pie pan (or 8 muffin cups), making sure the dough comes almost to the top of each pan. Fill the pies with the chicken mixture. Lay a second round of dough over the top of each pie. Press the dough so that the edges meet, then use a fork to seal the edges. Mix the egg with 2 teaspoons water and brush it all over the surface of the crust. (Discard any extra egg wash.) Cut small vents in the surface of the crusts.
• If you're baking the pies right away, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, place the pies on a baking sheet and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Serve them straight out of the pie pans or turn them out of the pan and serve them upside down!
• Find this recipe and more in Ree's new book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime ($30, William Morrow Cookbooks).

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Generously grease bottoms and sides of 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with shortening. Line pans with cooking parchment paper; grease paper, and lightly flour.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, butter, coconut milk, water and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Pour batter evenly into pans.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans to cooling racks; remove cooking parchment paper. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.
• In medium bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of the coconut, the sugar and sour cream. Spoon 1 cup of the mixture into large bowl; set aside.
• Cut each cake horizontally into 2 layers. Spread 1/2 cup of the remaining coconut-sour cream mixture on cut side of 1 layer. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining layer, cut side down.
• In bowl of reserved coconut-sour cream mixture, stir in whipped topping, 1/2 cup of the coconut and the coconut extract until well mixed. Frost top and side of cake with mixture. Gently press remaining coconut onto top and side of cake. Cover; refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving.