A Jewel Of A Pie

I hate to do this, but I’m going to have to give credit where credit is due.  I owe it all to Oprah.  In one of her more recent “O” magazines she dedicates a few pages to pies.  They all look delicious but the ones that caught my eye were these cute little hand pies.  I just love a little something that you can pick up and bite into, no utensils necessary.  I’m guilty of standing at the kitchen sink, gazing out at the lovely ponds, grazing horses, honky geese, and adorable mini donkeys that dot the landscape outside my kitchen window, enjoying a few bites of whatever is yummy in my kitchen.  These little pies are perfect for such moments.

You’ll need to plan ahead a little and allow the dough to chill for 2-3 hours before putting the pies together.  The dough comes together easily in a food processor and later when time allows they’re easy to fill, seal and bake.  I’m thinkin’ these little gems will become a regular in my kitchen.  Adoring hubby loves fried pies and these are less messy and much healthier for him.  Plus, they’re cute!

The recipe calls for cream cheese in the dough and yields a tender, slightly sweet crust. I filled half with raspberry preserves and fresh raspberries and the other half with apricot preserves and peaches.  Any combination of preserves and fresh fruit would turn out delicious little pies.  Use your imagination, fig, strawberry, plum, apple, the possibilities are endless.   Just the right amount of filling inside the yummiest crust, each of these little jewels yields just a few bites.  Perfect…

Enjoy!

Hand Pies

Ingredients:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/3 cup fruit preserves or jam
3/4 cup fresh fruit, chopped if needed
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 tbsp. raw (turbinado) sugar

In a food processor, pulse together cream cheese, butter, cream, granulated sugar, and salt until smooth.  Add flour and pulse until a sticky dough forms.  Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, cover tightly and  chill until firm, 2-3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350*.  working on a floured surface, roll out dough into a 10″x 20″ rectangle.  Using a glass or bowl, cut out 8 (4 1/2″) circles.

Drop about 2 tsp. jam or preserves onto 1 side of each circle and top with 1 tbsp. fruit. Brush the outer edge of each circle with egg and then fold over to make half-moons. Press the edges together firmly, and then seal with the tines of a fork.  Place on a parchment paper lined sheet tray and cut 3 slits in each top.  Brush with egg, sprinkle with raw sugar, and bake until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes.