Receta Valentine Pie Bites...
What's that? Been there, done that? Oh no you haven't! These are NEW and IMPROVED pie bites!
Pie Bites are all over blog land, I especially like the post about them here. Little heart-shaped pieces of ready-made pie crust filled with cherry pie filling, or any pie filling for that matter - they are so sweet and yummy and will definitely melt your caveman's heart.
And while filling them with cherry, apple, blueberry or raspberry pie filling is delicious...why do just the predictable?
Here's how to make these little bites of YUM taste even better:
Start with ready-made pie crusts, I used Pillsbury. Two sheets come in a package and one sheet will give you eighteen, 3-inch hearts, which makes nine little pies (two per pie!) You will need to reroll the dough a few times to get all eighteen hearts. If you use both sheets of pie crust you'll end up with 18 pie bites...more than enough for you and a very, very good friend!
You will need pie filling: You can use any canned pie filling or jams or preserves. Think outside the shell here...lemon curd is fantastic! Fig jam with a smear of cream cheese is divine! Nutella is melt-in-your-mouth good! Raspberry and chocolate! Raspberry and lemon curd! Orange marmalade - yes! Any jam or preserve that you love will love you right back once it's wrapped in pastry!
And then there's Almond Paste. Yep. That's my secret ingredient! Roll a piece of almond paste between some plastic wrap, so it's very thin. Put a thin layer on the dough, top with chocolate chips and a couple of cherries...now you're talking serious goodness! Almond and cherries and chocolate - the trifecta of flavors! But why stop there? Toss in a bit of coconut or slivers of almonds!
Can you see? The sky is the limit on what you can put in these little beauties! Our Best Bites, which does have a lovely post about these, will give you some more suggestions, and you've got to see how they packaged them - very cute! Mine didn't last long enough to be "packaged!" These are worth five dangs my friends...FIVE...you're going to love all two or three bites!
Valentine Pie Bites - Pots and Pins
1 package ready-made pie crust, (use both sheets to make 18 pies)
- 1 egg, plus 1 teaspoon of water
- Red sugar sprinkles for tops of pies
- Canned pie filling, your favorite flavor
- Almond paste (Almond paste works well with cherry and raspberry pie filling)
- Optional: chocolate chips, coconut, bananas, Nutella, jams, jellies, preserves, etc., etc.
- Glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 teaspoons whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove pie dough from packaging and allow to sit on counter for 15 minutes. Unroll dough. Using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut our 18 hearts, rerolling dough as necessary. Cut off a piece of almond paste from tube. Roll between plastic wrap until very thin. Place pieces of almond paste on top of 9 hearts, leaving at least 1/4-inch of room around the outside of the heart. Top almond paste with 1 to 2 teaspoons of pie filling. (If desired, add a few chocolate chips or a sprinkling of coconut. Cherry, almond, chocolate and coconut taste great together!)
In a small bowl, combine egg and the teaspoon of water. Mix with a fork. Dip your finger into the egg mixture and go around the edge of the heart. Press another heart-shaped piece of dough on top, sealing carefully as you go. If you've filled the heart too full some of the filling will ooze out, just wipe it up with a paper towel. Seal the edges further by using a fork and crimping around the edges. Poke a tiny hole in the top of the pie so the steam can vent. Brush the tops of pies with a light coating of egg wash. Sprinkle red sugars on top. Bake at 375 for 15 minute to 18 minutes or until top is golden brown. Immediately remove the pies from the baking sheet using a spatula. If any of the filling oozed out while baking, removing them quickly will keep them from sticking. Let cool for ten minutes on a rack. Make glaze and drizzle over the tops of pies. Eat, with or without guilt, they're worth it!