Since I live in a condominium, we aren’t allowed to have a barbeque grill on our patios. VA law says so. It kinda sucks if you’re really into grilling. BUT, we DO have a couple of grills in the pool area for anyone and everyone to use.

I have to be honest though. . . I’m not so good at the grilling thing. I cook INdoors. It’s just how I roll.

Pretty often throughout the summer, my “pool buddies” throw an impromptu BBQ. These people come prepared too, let me tell you. They’ve got this grilling thing down to a science. It’s actually pretty impressive. And they’re always nice enough to invite me to join them. (Since I’ve pretty much set up residence at the pool and AM consistently and constantly there – kinda like the furniture, I think they’d feel bad NOT inviting me)

So I just bring what I want to grill, and usually a side dish or a dessert or something. On the 4th of July, the pool area was fairly sparse. I think most folks had either braved the crowds at the beach or they had traveled out of town. But, lo and behold, yours truly was THERE! So when the girls came to grill, they invited me to join them. I knew that I had some jalapeno sausages that would be delicious grilled, but I had to think quick of something else to bring along on the side, something quick so as not to interrupt too much of my pooltime, and something that I had all the ingredients for because I certainly wasn’t going to go trapsing into our local grocery store in my bathing suit. I mean, it’s a cute suit and all, but. . . . I’m just sayin’.

So I thought of this recipe that I had come across several weeks ago in one of the jillion little cookbooks that I pick up at the grocery store for a cute little dessert. This one was from Pillsbury. It seemed quick and easy. AND I had everything required. Wheee!

GRAND LIL’ PIES

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup chopped Nuts, optional
1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Flaky Layers refrigerated biscuits
1 can (21 oz) apple, blueberry or cherry pie filling (whichever floats your boat)
1 to 1 1/2 cups whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in cold butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts.

Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Split each biscuit in half to make 16 rounds. Flatten each to form 4-inch round. Press each biscuit round in ungreased muffin tin.

Spoon 2 tablespoons pie filling into each biscuit cup. (I used blueberry)

Sprinkle each with about 2 tablespoons crumb mixture. Cups will be very full.

Bake 15 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups and place on cooling rack for 10 minutes.

Now, you COULD beat some whipping cream until stiff peaks form, OR you could just use Cool Whip. (That’s what I did because I was in a hurry)

They did turn out to be quick and easy. (I didn’t miss too much sun) AND they were a big hit!! I, personally, wished that I had a scoop of vanilla ice cream to go with them.

Now, you need to store any leftovers in the fridge. So I just reheated mine in the toaster oven and the ONE that I had was totally delicious. I’ll be making these again. I’m thinking little apple pies in the Fall. A nice little treat to have out around Thanksgiving. That’s just me thinking outloud.