Pumpkin Pocket Pies

Aren't pocket pies just the best? They are the perfect single serving size and they have just a little more crust then filling which is perfect for me because I love the crust! During Valentine’s Day, I posted a chocolate pocket pie recipe that was pretty tasty and in honor of fall I wanted to bake up some pumpkin pocket pies.

I searched and searched and searched some more but I couldn’t find a recipe. I found recipes where people took a baked pumpkin pie and used the inside for filling in the pocket pies and I found a couple forums where people said that a traditional pumpkin pie filling was to runny and would just seep out. I was getting ready to forgo my attempt and make apple pies instead but then I came across Joy the Baker and she had posted a recipe for pumpkin poptarts!! Very clever of her! The filling works perfectly inside the pie crust and the coarse sanding sugar sprinkled on top gives each bite a little added crunch.

Ingredients:

2 store-bought pie crusts

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 large egg

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar or 5 ½ Tbls of Splenda Baking Blend

1 egg white

In a small sauce pan, combine pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice and heat until fragrant about 3-5 mins on medium heat. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium sized mixing bowl. Whisk in egg, salt and sugar and place in the refrigerator while you cut out the dough.

Unroll the store bought crust onto a pastry board and go over it a few times with a rolling pin (I didn't use any flour on the board or rolling pin but you may need to if it is sticky). 

Using a pocket pie mold, cut out 16 of each shape (8 solid and 8 with the decorative cutout). Re-roll the dough scraps, if necessary, and cut out more shapes. Repeat with the remaining dough disk. If you don't have a fancy pocket pie cutter than use a cookie cutter and seal the edges with a fork.

Place a solid dough shape in the bottom half of the cutter and gently press the dough into the mold. Fill the center with 2 Tbs. filling and brush the edges of the dough with some of the egg white. Top with a shape with a decorative cutout. Press the top half of the cutter down to seal and crimp the edges of the pie. Remove the pie from the mold and place on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Brush the top of the pie with egg white and sprinkle coarse sanding sugar on top. Freeze the pies for 30 minutes.

Bake pies on parchment paper or a greased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 22-25 minutes.


Enjoy!!