Pie in a Jar

For a long time I have wanted to make these little pies, thought it would be a fun way to serve pie for my next dinner dessert. These little pies are also perfect to give as gifts especially at Christmas. Once they are baked and cooled you can close them with the lids and add a ribbon if given as gifts. Or you can freeze the extra and have them ready for a time when a pie craving hits.
This is not so much a recipe as an idea of a fun way to serve dessert or give as a gift from your kitchen. You can use this idea for apple crisp or graham wafer crumbs layered with pudding and whipped cream. Or make savory pies, so many ways to use these jars other than for jam.

• Your favorite pastry dough
• Canned cherries or any other fruit pie filling, I chose cherries because they look festive and because I really like them
• Wide mouth jam jars

1. Roll out your pastry like you would for pie. Cut out circles that fit your jars. Push the circles of dough into your jars pressing the dough to the bottom and sides to form the crust. If you don't want to cut out the circles, just press pieces of dough into the jar covering the bottom and sides.
2. Spoon your filling into the dough lined jars.
3. Using the screw-on ring for the jar, cut a circle of dough and place on top of the filling, pushing down the edges a bit to form the top crust.
4. Cut a vent on top crust, I used a little tree shaped cookie cutter.
5. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle a little coarse sugar over top.
6. Place jars on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350º oven for 40 to 45 minutes.
7. Remove from oven, allow to cool.
8. Serve in jars with a scoop of ice cream or run a knife around the edges and slide pie out to serve on a plate.