Pocket Pies

There aren’t a lot of people who don’t like pie.  I have come across people who don’t like cake, who don’t like lemon, who don’t like chocolate.  But not a lot of people who don’t like pie.  We were having some people over and I wasn’t sure what I should make for dessert.  I have never cooked or baked for these people so I didn’t know their likes and dislikes.  With this, I decided to go with something safe and make pie!

I wanted to put a little spin on the pie, so I decided to make Pocket Pies.  Pocket Pies are small, hand-held pies.  They are so cute and easy to eat, that they appeal to everyone!  

Putting together the pocket pies was very similar to making a normal pie.  The only difference was that after you roll out the dough, you cut it into rectangles, fill one side of each piece with filling and then top it with another piece.  So if you made a normal pie, you can definitely make a pocket pie.  And even if you never made a pie, you can make a pocket pie!  It some cases it is actually easier to make a pocket pie because you don’t have to fit it in a pie pan.

I filled the pies with three different types of fruit filling – apple, pear, and peach.  You can choose to do all three fillings, or just do one or two.  You can also choose another favorite fruit that works well in a pie.  Definitely make the pie to fit your taste!

When I ate this pocket pie, I immediately thought of why people like pie so much (including me!).  The flaky crust is mouthwatering and so addicting!  Sometimes I see people just eat the crust :)!  And the filling is perfectly sweet, creating a great compliment to the always-incredible crust. 

Now that I have made these pocket pies, I think that I will make start making them a lot more.  Because of their smaller size they are much easier to eat.  Instead of having to cut a piece of pie, all you have to do is pick up a pocket pie.  This makes this hand-held dessert a perfect choice for a party!

Next time you go to make a traditional fruit pie, I urge you make these adorable pocket pies instead :)!

 

Pocket Pies

For Printable Recipe, Click here!

Makes: 7 Individual Pies (6x3 inches)

For the Pie Crust

2 ½ cups All Purpose Flour, and more for dusting the surface

16 tbsp. (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Sugar

8 to 12 tbsp. Water (Very Cold)

For the Filling

2 Apple*

2 Pears*

2 Peaches*

2 tbsp. All Purpose Flour

1 tbsp. Lemon Juice

1 tsp. Lemon Zest

¾ cup Sugar (plus 1 tbsp. for sprinkling)

¼ tsp. Ground Nutmeg

¼ tsp. Cinnamon

1/8 tsp. Ground All Spice

¼ tsp. Salt

2 Egg Whites

*If you like, you can use either one type of fruit or a combination of fruits.

To make the crust, start by cutting the butter into ¼ inch squares.  Put all the butter in a small bowl and place in the freezer until needed.

In a large food processor, combine the flour, salt, and sugar.  (If you don’t have a large enough food processor, you can cut the recipe in half and work with half at a time). Pulse just to combine.  Add in the butter and pulse 6-8 times until the butter pieces are the size of small peas and the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Slowly add in the very cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time.  Stop adding water when the mixture comes together and is in wet clumps.  Be sure to not add too much water – you don’t want to dough to be extremely wet. 

Pour out all the dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Form the dough into 2 discs and flour all sides of the dough.  Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

While the dough is chilling, begin making the filling for the pies.  Peel, core, and quarter all the apples, pears, and peaches. Slice the fruit into ¼ inch slices and place each fruit into a separate bowl.  Add the lemon juice and lemon zest to the fruit and toss to coat.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, all spice, and salt.  Pour the same amount of the flour mixture over each bowl of fruit and mix until all the fruits are coated with the flour mixture.  Set the mixtures aside.

When the dough is done chilling, take 1 disc out and place it on a lightly floured surface.  Roll out the dough until it is ¼-inch thick. Cut the dough into 6x3 inch rectangles.  You will have scraps of dough, ball them together and roll the dough out to cut another rectangle out.  Place the rectangles onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.  Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill. Do the same with the other disc of dough.  

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Take the dough rectangles out of the refrigerator.  Place a small amount of the filling on half of each piece of dough.  With a pastry brush, brush some of the egg whites on all sides of the dough.  Cover with another piece of dough.  Using a fork, press all sides of the dough to crimp the sides together.  Place the individual pies in the refrigerator to chill, about 10 minutes.  Cut slits on top of the pies and brush with the rest of the egg white.  Sprinkle with sugar and bake in the oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Serve and enjoy :)!  If you like your pie warm, place the individual pie in the microwave for 30 seconds. 

Crust Recipe from Simply Recipes, Filling Recipe and Pie Instructions from Baking Illustrated.