Cherry Bomb Pie Poppers: A Star Spangled Treat for 4th of July

These little pies, packed with a punch of tart cherries and a sprinkling of sugar, were the perfect finale to 4th of July celebrations.  My mom and I spent the morning in a flour-clouded kitchen rolling and cutting dough, spooning cherry filling into crust lined cupcake pans, and dusting crust stars with sugar.  Meanwhile my sister/manager snapped pictures, snuck a taste or two, and coined the name Cherry Bomb Pie Poppers.  With the family touch, a couple cans of cherry filling, a few pie crusts, and a bowl full of sugar, Cherry Bomb Pie Poppers made their debut with oohs and aahs!

Pie Crust Ingredients
1 1/3 cups          flour
1 tbsp                 sugar
1/2 tsp                salt
1/2 cup               chilled shortening
3 tbsp                 ice water
     * 3 batches of crust for 24 pie poppers topped with stars

Cherry Filling Ingredient...yep, just one!
2 1/2 cans             Comstock Country Cherry Pie Filling
     * Fills 24 pie poppers
     ** Leftover List: Dip ice cream sandwich into leftover cherry filling or pour over ice cream!

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2.  Spray cupcake pans with nonstick baking spray.
3.  Whisk together pie crust dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt).
3.  Cut in shortening using a pastry blender.
4.  Add water one tbsp at a time, using pastry blender to fully combine each.  Dough will be crumbly.
5.  Form dough into disk.
6.  Flour rolling surface and rolling pin.
7.  Roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.

8.  Use a large cup or circle cookie-cutter to cut out pie popper shells.
9.  Lightly press shell into individual cupcake holes.
10.  Use a star cookie-cutter to cut out pie popper tops.
11.  Place star toppers on parchment paper or plate.
12.  Slightly dampen star toppers with water.
13.  Sprinkle star toppers with sugar.
14.  Spoon 5 cherries with filling into pie popper shells.

15.  Place star topper, sugar-side up, onto each pie popper and lightly press corners of star into pie popper shell to hold.
16.  Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees.
17.  Reduce oven to 325 degrees and bake for 16 minutes.

18.  Let cool for a few minutes then gently remove using a butter knife.
It'll be tough to wait for these to cool so pop these little cherry bomb pies with caution!!!