These were easy as...pie...(had to, sorry) to make ahead and freeze. They baked up beautifully and the filling was delish!
Hand pie crust
via Foodie with Family
Ingredients
- 2 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold butter, in small pieces
- 2 egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons ice water
- For the Pies:
- 4 cups pie filling (whichever flavour you prefer, I like to use a variety of homemade pie fillings.)
- Also needed to bake the pies:
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon raw sugar (can substitute granulated sugar) per pie
For the Crust (Can substitute 2 purchased pie crust rounds):
Instructions
To Make the Crust:
Pulse the flour
and salt together in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal
blade. Open the food processor and add in the butter. Replace the lid
and pulse until the butter and flour resemble small peas. Pour the ice
water and egg yolks in through the feed tube and process until a coarse
dough forms. Turn the shaggy dough out onto a lightly floured surface
and press together with your hands until it holds together well. Divide
into two equal pieces and form into 1/2-inch thick rectangles. Wrap each
rectangle in plastic wrap and chill for at least twenty minutes (but up
to 2 days) before rolling.
To Make the Pies:
Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Lightly flour
your work surface and place an unwrapped rectangle of pie crust dough on
the counter. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough.
Roll
it into a larger rectangle that is about 12-inches by 10-inches. Use a
bench knife, pastry wheel or pizza cutter to divide the dough in half
vertically. Score the dough lengthwise also, dividing the dough into 4
smaller rectangles, to help you visualize where to put the pie filling.
Spoon about half a cup of pie filling near either side of the split on the dough.
Fold
the outside edges (using a bench knife to help lift the dough, if
needed) toward the center and drape it over the pie filling, pressing
down and crimping the seams to keep the filling from leaking.
Use
your bench knife or cutter to split between the pies again (just to be
sure nothing is sticking!). Use a spatula or bench knife to transfer the
pies to the parchment lined pans. Don't worry about leaving too much
space between them, because you'll be freezing them.
Repeat with
remaining pie dough and filling. Cover the pans lightly with plastic
wrap and place in the freezer until frozen solid, about 4 hours.
When firm, carefully transfer the frozen pies to a resealable freezer bag and keep frozen for up to 3 months.
To Bake Pies:
Place desired
amount of pies 2-3 inches apart on a rimmed parchment lined pan. Preheat
oven to 425°F. Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg and
sprinkle each pie with a teaspoon of raw sugar. Cut two small vent holes
in the tops of the pies.
Bake for 15
minutes, lower the heat to 350°F, and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or
until pies are deep golden brown and filling is bubbly.
Let cool on the
pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to finish
cooling. Serve warm or room temperature. Leftovers can be stored,
tightly wrapped, at room temperature for up to three days.
Apple Pie filling
via Paula Deen
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
- Freshly ground nutmeg, to taste
- 7 medium apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
Mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. In another bowl, sprinkle apples with the juice of 1 lemon and toss. Stir in the sugar mixture to evenly coat the apples.
