Blueberry Pie Pops

1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Roll out one of the pie crusts to 1/8-inch thick; cut 16 3-inch circles from the crust. Line 16 mini muffin cups in a 24-cup mini muffin pan with the crust circles. Refrigerate to chill, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, roll out the other crust to 1/8 inch thick, and cut out 16 2 1/2-inch circles; lay the 16 circles onto the prepared baking sheet, and refrigerate.

3. Mix together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, and cornstarch in a bowl. Stir in the blueberries, and toss lightly to coat with the sugar mixture. Whisk the egg in a small separate bowl. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of blueberry mixture into each crust-lined muffin cup (don't overfill). Place a cookie pop stick horizontally into the filled pop so the end sticks out by several inches. With a pastry brush, dab a little beaten egg evenly around the edge of the filled crust; place a 2 1/2-inch top crust circle onto the filled crust, and pinch edges together to seal in the filling and close the crust around the stick. With a toothpick, poke 3 or 4 steam holes into the top crust. Brush top of each pie pop with beaten egg, and sprinkle with sugar.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before gently removing from muffin tin cups. To help pops release, run a small knife around the edges and under stick.

Cook's Notes

Fresh or frozen blueberries can be used; if using thawed berries, place in a sieve to drain the liquid before mixing with sugar and seasonings. Adding too much liquid to the pops can cause them to leak or overflow during baking.

As extra insurance to get pie pops to release from muffin cups, cut out small circles of parchment paper and place in bottom of each cup before lining with crust.