Blueberry Pie Pockets

April 28: National Blueberry Pie Day

We posted a recipe for cherry pie pockets for National Cherry Pie Day. Now we are blogging about blueberry pie pockets for National Blueberry Pie Day. The portable, petite pies seem to follow the mini-treats trend. Islander used her $10 toy, a lattice pocket pie mold, that Highlander got for her from the Williams-Sonoma store. The mold makes it quick and easy to prepare the pies. The blueberry filling may be substituted for any other favorite flavor (fresh fruits or canned pie filling) and the lattice crust may be made from scratch or rolled out from refrigerated pie dough. For a sweet snack, prepare something “as easy as pie” and bake blueberry pie pockets for National Blueberry Pie Day.

Recipe

(Inspired by Williams-Sonoma)

• 1 package refrigerated pie dough, thawed
• 1 can blueberry pie filling, partially drained (see Notes)
• 1 egg, beaten with a tablespoon of water
• sanding or turbinado sugar (we used Wilton brand white sparkling sugar) 

Directions

Unroll the pie dough on a slightly floured surface. Press out pairs of solid pieces and the lattice tops using the Williams-Sonoma mold. Partially drain the blueberry filling (optional).

Put the solid side of the dough on the pie press. Place about two heaping tablespoons of the blueberry pie filling in the middle of the dough.  Brush the edges with egg wash. Top with the lattice side of the dough. Press the mold down to seal.

Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough and blueberry pie filling. Freeze all pocket pies for at least an hour. Remove from the freezer and transfer to a lightly greased, foil-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of the lattice with egg wash. Sprinkle sugar on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until the filling bubbles slightly and the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the blueberry pie pockets cool completely on a wire rack.

Notes

• Drain half of the liquid syrup from the can of blueberries so the filling is not so runny.
• If not using the Williams-Sonoma mini lattice pie press, use a large cookie cutter to cut shapes in the dough. Pair them up, place filling in the middle, seal the edges by pressing down with the tines of a fork and brush the sides and tops with egg wash. Cut a few slits on the top as vents. Freeze until firm. Bake as directed above.
• Do not deep fry the lattice pie pockets. They may be deep fried if both sides of the dough are solid pieces.
• Re-roll out the pie dough to make more solid pieces and lattice tops.
• July is National Blueberry Month. Search our blog for more recipes containing blueberries. 

Chocolate Pretzel Cookies

April 26: National Pretzel Day

We tend to associate pretzels with plane food. But the airlines are getting so stingy nowadays that sometimes only beverages are served, if at all! That is okay as we can do without the salty snacks. A homemade alternative, such as chocolate pretzel cookies, would suffice! They are perfect for passengers on long flights. They look just like the hard pretzel snacks but with a sweet twist—literally—in that the salt is actually sugar on the surface! Try these treats for traveling and prepare chocolate pretzel cookies for National Pretzel Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso or coffee powder (we used Muvaldi brand instant Kona coffee)
• 3 tablespoons boiling water
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon coarse salt (we used Hawaiian sea salt)
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon water
• sanding sugar (we used Wilton brand white sparkling sugar)

Directions

Combine the cocoa and espresso/coffee powders with the boiling water in a small bowl. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Add the vanilla and coarse salt.

Beat in the egg. Stir in the cocoa-coffee mixture. Gradually add the flour until a smooth dough is formed. Place on a plastic wrap and flatten out into a disc. Cover and refrigerate for half an hour. Pinch out 24 balls from the dough.

Roll out a ball into a foot-long rope. Turn it up into a “U” shape. Twist down and overlap into a pretzel shape.

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Continue making the rest of the cookies, spacing them about an inch apart. Brush each pretzel cookie with egg wash. Sprinkle sanding sugar. Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F for 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through cooking time. Remove from the oven and let cool on the sheets for about 10 minutes. Peel the cookies from the parchment paper and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

• Danke (thanks) to Lisa L. for the delicate white embroidered apron from Germany on which the chocolate pretzel cookies are displayed in the final food photo above.
• Prepare these pretzels for a party—German style! These chocolate pretzel cookies make a delicious Deutsch-inspired dessert for Oktoberfest.

Jelly Bean Corn Cupcakes

April 22: National Jelly Bean Day

We took weekend road trips to Wisconsin occasionally when we used to live in Illinois. The Jelly Belly jelly beans visitors center in Pleasant Prairie was less than two hours away from our home. We had fun going on the Jelly Belly factory/warehouse tour, browsing around the colorful gift shop and, of course, tasting the various flavors of jelly beans!

Islander’s favorite Jelly Belly flavor is “buttered popcorn.” She combined this with “crushed pineapple” and “top banana” flavored jelly beans to decorate three yellow frosted cupcakes to look like a cute corn-on-the-cob! Although we prefer to eat our jelly beans plain, they are delicious for decorating desserts, too.

Get creative and make corn cupcakes with jelly beans for National Jelly Bean Day!

Recipe

(Adapted from Hello, Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson)

Ingredients

• Sets of 3 cupcakes (we used yellow cupcakes)
• Yellow or white frosting
• Jelly beans in a combination of yellow and white colors (we used Jelly Belly brand buttered popcorn, crushed pineapple and top banana flavors)
• Wonka Laffy Taffy banana candy (or Starburst lemon fruit chews)
• White and black sparkling sugar (optional)

Directions

Bake and cool cupcakes. Frost the tops of each. Mix the jelly beans in a bowl.

Line 6-7 randomly-colored jelly beans horizontally down the middle of a cupcake. Add more jelly beans on the sides to cover the top of the cupcake. Repeat for the other two cupcakes. Position the three cupcakes side by side, lining up the rows of jelly beans from the center.

Insert a corn holder on the left and right sides of the cupcakes (optional). Cut a square from the Laffy Taffy or use a Starburst fruit chew for the butter. Gently mold the edges to make it look like the butter is slightly melting. Dab a bit of frosting on the Laffy Taffy/Starburst and attach it on top of the middle cupcake. Sprinkle with white and black sparkling sugar to look like salt and pepper (optional). Display the set of three cupcakes on a corn dish or long plate.

Notes

• Corn holders may be purchased at most grocery, home or department stores, such as Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart and Target.