Mini Boston Cream Pies, Southern-Style

These Mini Boston Cream Pies are absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious — the filling and chocolate are heavenly. Make them Southern-style and you’ll both love and begrudgingly envy the baker.

These bite-sized treats combine a tender fried biscuit shell, a creamy vanilla filling and a glossy chocolate topping. They are one of my favorite uses for canned biscuits, and they come together quickly, making them ideal for a last-minute dessert, potluck or weekend treat.

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 can biscuits (five or ten count — not the flaky layered type)
• Sugar-free instant vanilla pudding (small box)
• Lite whipped topping (8 ounces)
• Vegetable oil (for frying)
• Fat-free or low-fat milk (about 1 1/2 cups)
• Chocolate frosting (about 4 tablespoons; canned or prepared glaze)

How to Make Mini Boston Cream Pies

These mini pies are straightforward to prepare. First you fry the biscuits until golden, then prepare a simple pastry-cream-style filling, pipe it into the warm shells, and finish with a chocolate glaze. Follow the steps below for best results.

1. Heat the oil. Pour about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil into a skillet and warm over medium heat for about five minutes. The oil should be hot but not smoking.

2. Fry the biscuits. Add biscuits to the hot oil. They will brown quickly — in under a minute — so turn them as soon as the first side is golden. Brown both sides evenly, then remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Make the Filling

3. Prepare the cream. In a mixing bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups fat-free or low-fat milk and one small box of sugar-free instant vanilla pudding. Using a little less milk than the pudding package calls for yields a thicker, creamier filling. Once smooth, fold in 8 ounces of lite whipped topping. Mix briefly with a hand mixer or whisk until blended, then scrape the bottom with a spatula to ensure an even texture. The result is a light, silky pastry-style cream that works well as a filling or a light icing for cakes and fruit.

4. Fill the minis. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a small tip, or use a new oral syringe. Insert the tip into the side of each fried biscuit and pipe in just under a tablespoon of filling, or more to taste. The biscuits will hold the filling nicely without splitting.

Chocolate Ganache

5. Glaze the tops. For a quick finish, warm canned chocolate frosting in the microwave for 20–30 seconds until it reaches a pourable glaze consistency. Dip the top of each filled biscuit into the chocolate and set aside to cool. If you prefer, prepare a homemade chocolate frosting using milk, cocoa, a small amount of butter and powdered sugar — either option tastes great.

Storage

Keep leftover mini Boston cream pies in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to four days. Because the filling is cream-based, these do not freeze well; refrigeration preserves texture and flavor best.

Recipe Notes

• You can sandwich the filling between two Nilla wafers for a quick handheld variation.
• To make Boston cream cupcakes instead, bake cupcakes from a yellow cake mix (or your favorite recipe), core the centers, pipe in the filling, and top with chocolate glaze.
• Choose a neutral oil with a high smoke point for frying and monitor heat carefully so the biscuits brown evenly without burning.

Take a lesson from the weather; it pays no attention to criticism.

Submitted by Bev