Blueberry Shortbread (Mini) Pies

1. Very lightly spray the bottom of 18 wells of a standard-sized muffin pan(s) with baking spray. Set pan(s) aside.
2. Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and combine it using a mixer on medium low speed until it looks creamy and has lightened a bit in color.
3. Then add the vanilla extract and stir to fully incorporate.
4. Put the flour into another bowl. Stir salt into the flour. Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 2-3 batches, stirring in between. Stir until well combined and dough starts to come together.
5. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap onto a clean, flat surface. Turn the dough out onto the plastic wrap.
6. Form the dough into a ball and then flatten it into a ½-inch high rectangle. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap. Pop the dough into the fridge for 20 minutes or so.
7. Preheat oven to 350 F.
8. Unwrap the chilled dough, and roll it out evenly on a floured surface until it’s about 1/4 inch thick. Use a 3-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter to cut 18 circles of dough, rerolling the dough scraps as necessary. (If you don’t have a 3” round cutter, the edge of a large drinking glass will do.)
9. Place the circles in the center of the prepared muffin tin wells. Gently press the centers down to form a crust. Do not press the dough roughly, it should barely change shape at all. Refrigerate the dough in the pans for 15 minutes.
10. Remove the pans from the refrigerator and place a single layer of blueberries onto each dough “crust.” I usually fit about 6-8 blueberries in each, depending on the size of the berries. Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon of granulated sugar over each of the berry pies.
11. Bake at 350 F for 14 minutes, or until the edges are very lightly browned.
12. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pans. Then gently run a thin paring knife around the edges of the pies to loosen and pop them out of the wells of the pans. Allow pies to cool completely on a cooling rack before serving. Leftover pies should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Variations: Fresh raspberries or chopped fresh peaches can be substituted for the blueberries.