Raspberry Crescent Mini Pies Recipe
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Raspberry crescent mini pies
I hope your Memorial Day celebrations are filled with loved ones and provide a moment of remembrance for all our U.S. veterans. I had a friend, who is a veteran, ask me if any vets would be attending our backyard BBQ hangout and I said no not this year. What struck me though was that if we were to have some veterans with us it would most likely be young people who are friends of my oldest daughter Caitlin. That tugs at my heart. As a country we have been at war for most of her life. I hope that changes soon.
Cutting out the circles with the backside of the pressA bit of water on the edges to be sure it sticks closedAdd the filling, but not too much ...
Today's post features cooking with my youngest daughter Bel if you are curious who did all the real work. She is a terrific co-chef making these raspberry crescent pies and we both give the gadget we used a big thumbs up. I want to say right up front I did not receive any product or fee for writing about these dough presses. I rarely add new things to my kitchen but my family's love of gyozas, small fruit pies, and breakfast sandwiches talked me into spending the eight bucks they cost me and I am really glad I did. The backside of the press is the cutter so that you will have a perfect fit for the pressing stage. How neat is that.
Close it quick!Ta-da!
After filling and pressing these crescent pies you could freeze them at this stage. Place them flat on your baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a storage bag or container. When ready to eat just place the frozen crescent pies on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake as usual, adding about 5 - 7 minutes cooking time.
Ready to bake, with one just for the chefs to eat first!
Bel and I had a great time making these pies. Be sure you work with filling that has been chilled otherwise it will cause your pie dough to be far too soft to hold the shape. These will disappear fast so you may want to make several batches, depending on the size of your crowd. Top with some whip cream and a few blueberries on the side and you have a red, white and blue dish fitting for your Memorial Day gathering.
Raspberry Crescent Mini Pies
Mini raspberry pies small enough to pickup and eat but with a flavor that is sweet and tart and memorable.
Ingredients
1 crust, 9" Pie Dough
- 1 rounded cup all-purpose flour
- 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup), very cold and cut into 8 pieces
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 Tbs sugar
- 3 - 4 Tbs ice water
- 3 cups Raspberry Filling
- 4 cups raspberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
For the pie dough: In your food processor with the dough hook, combine the flour, butter, salt and sugar. Pulse the ingredients together until you have a mixture with pea sized clumps in it.
Add 3 tablespoons of ice water and pulse about 10 times. Pinch a bit of the mixture together in your hand and it holds it shape you have added enough water. If not, add another tablespoon of water and pulse, then test again.
Transfer the crumbly mixture into a bag and then once it is inside, press the dough together into a ball. Chill for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
For the raspberry filling: In a small heavy bottom sauce pan, combine the berries, sugar and water over a medium flame. Bring up to a gentle boil and simmer there for 30 minutes, more or less, depending on the size of your pan, until the filling thickens. Transfer the hot filling to heat proof container and chill for at least 1 hour.
For the mini pies: Roll out your chilled pie dough to about 1/8" thickness. Cut out 8 rounds from the dough - you can re-roll it if you need to, although you want to limit doing this as much as possible so your dough does not toughen.
Pre-heat your oven to 425 (F). You can make these with or without a press. If you make it without a press just seal the edges of the pies with the back of a fork, working around the edge of the half circle once filled and folded.
Using a press, place the circle of dough into the crimping side. Wet the edge of the dough with a bit of water. Fill the circle with about 2 - 3 tablespoons of filling. Close the press quickly and firmly, sealing the edges together.
Transfer the completed mini pies to a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, just until the dough is fully cooked and is beginning to get some golden color. Leave the pies on the baking sheet and cool completely before eating. Enjoy!
Details
Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 2 hour Yield: 8 crescent pies, 5"