Apricot Pocket Pies

A long time ago, wives would cook small amounts of pre-cooked meats and fruits inside a biscuit like crust called pocket pies.  In 1963, Post Cereal company announced a new product to compliment their cereal, Pop Tarts. Pop Tarts being the commercialized version of the the pocket pie.  I remember having Pop Tarts when I was a kid and thinking these are so cool, a breakfast food you heat up in a toaster. One of my favorite shows is Good Eats with Alton Brown.  He had an episode on Pocket Pies.  That was when I learned Pop Tarts aren't very yummy, but the homemade pocket pies are really delicious. My daughter Haley asked me to make Pop Tarts today, she meant pocket pies.  As a child my family was blessed to have an apricot tree.  While we had an apricot tree we had sweet ripe delicious apricots that my dad made into jam.  Apricots are a fruit best picked when ripe.  They don't ripen off the tree, sadly.  Another sad fact, I have come to realize, not accept mind you, is that the produce sold here in Queens is not as good as the produce I bought in California.  For that reason, my apricot filling for this recipe needs a lot of sugar.  If by chance you have an apricot tree, which I do know a couple of people who do, or you have access to ripe apricots, then this recipe is for you. It can be changed to suit your purpose.  Another great aspect of this recipe, is you don't have to fill these pocket pies with apricots, you can use whatever fruit you want (or use jam instead of making a filling).  A special thanks to my Haley girl for photographing me while I put these together.

The flaky, layer goodness and fresh filling really do make these superior to those dry versions
in the foil packets.

Ingredients for Apricot Filling:

10 Apricots
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 tablespoons Butter
1/2 cup Cane Syrup (or use white granulated sugar)
1 cup Cane Sugar (or white granulated sugar)

Ingredients for Pie Dough:

19 ounces All-Purpose Flour

4 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt

5 ounces cold Butter

1 1/2 cups Milk

1 Egg mixed with 1 teaspoon water

 Wash, removes pits, and dice apricots into 1/2 inch cubes.

Place a medium non-stick skillet over a medium-high flame.  Add all the filling ingredients at once.
Stir and cook.

 Reduce heat to low, after mixture comes to a boil.  Cook and reduce the sauce until thickened.

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

 Add flour, salt, and baking powder to a medium size bowl.  Mix dry ingredients.

Add cold butter to flour mixture.  Using your fingers, lightly mix the flour and butter together to
make butter and flour globules.

 Add milk to dough and knead for 20 turns, until a ball forms.

 Divide dough into four balls.  Roll out each ball on a floured surface.  Roll to 1/8 inch thickness.

 Cut dough with pizza cutter and rolling pin as a guide to get a straight rectangle.

 Cut into four wide strips vertically.

 Cut once horizontally to create 8 rectangles.

 Spread 2 teaspoons apricot filling on bottom four rectangles.

 Dock top four rectangles with fork.  Poke holes in dough with fork.

Mix egg and water in a bowl or cup to create egg wash.  This will be our glue.

Dip your finger into the egg wash or use a pastry brush to brush/rub egg wash onto outside
border of all the rectangles.

Place docked dough rectangle on filling and press edges.  Push from middle out gently,
to remove air pockets.

Bake pocket pies on an un-greased sheet pan for 15-20 minutes.  The pocket pies should not
look browned on top.  The pocket pies are par-cooked.

 The rest of the cooking will take place in a toaster oven.

Enjoy!

Apricot Pocket Pie

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients for Apricot Filling:

10 Apricots
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 tablespoons Butter
1/2 cup Cane Syrup (or use white granulated sugar)
1 cup Cane Sugar (or white granulated sugar)

Ingredients for Pie Dough:

19 ounces All-Purpose Flour

4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt

5 ounces cold Butter

1 1/2 cups Milk

1 Egg mixed with 1 teaspoon water

Process for Apricot Filling:

Wash, removes pits, and dice apricots into 1/2 inch cubes.

Place a medium non-stick skillet over a medium-high flame.  

Add all the filling ingredients at once.  

Stir and cook.  

Reduce heat to low after mixture comes to a boil.  

Cook and reduce the sauce until thickened.

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

Process for Pie Dough:

Add flour, salt, and baking powder to a medium size bowl.  Mix dry ingredients.

Add cold butter to flour mixture.  Using your fingers lightly mix the flour and butter together to make butter and flour globules.

Add milk to dough and knead for 20 turns, until a ball forms.  

Add more flour if needed to make less sticky.

Divide dough into four balls.  Roll out each ball on a floured surface.  Roll to 1/8 inch thickness.

Cut dough with pizza cutter and rolling pin as a guide to get a straight rectangle.

Cut into four wide strips vertically.

Cut once horizontally to create 8 rectangles.

Process for Pocket Pies:

Spread 2 teaspoons apricot filling on bottom four rectangles.

Dock top four rectangles with fork.  Poke holes in dough with fork.

Mix egg and water in a bowl or cup to create egg wash.  This will be our glue.

Dip your finger into the egg wash or use a pastry brush to brush/rub egg wash onto outside border of all the rectangles.

Place docked dough rectangle on filling and press edges.  Push from middle out gently, to remove air pockets.

Bake pocket pies on an un-greased sheet pan for 15-20 minutes.  The pocket pies should not look browned on top.  The pocket pies are par-cooked.

Toast pocket pies in toaster oven before serving.

Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Crepes

When I was in 6th grade, my teacher Ms. Mishodek, taught our class how to make crepes.  I was so excited, that when I went over to my friend Patricia's house, we made crepes together.  Crepes are super easy to make, and I now know you can mix them in the blender so they are really easy to make.   My mom has a recipe for chicken filling for putting into crepes.  As a teenager, when I cooked for my family, I made it the same way she did, with condensed cream of chicken soup.  I don't use condensed cream soup at all.  I changed the recipe to my own liking when I grew up and started cooking for my own husband and children.  This recipe has a great ability to bring me back to a happy place thinking about my childhood and my mom.  Since I had to make a meal super fast with what I had, it fit the bill nicely.

 This is so yummy, I promise.  Easy too.

Ingredients for Crepes:

4 large Eggs
2 cups Milk
2/3 cup Water
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
4 tablespoons Melted Butter
Non-Stick Spray

Ingredients for Creamy Chicken Filling:

1 1/2 cups Shredded Chicken
3 tablespoons Butter
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
3 Green Onions
6 Hard -Boiled Eggs (recipe found here)
2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
2 1/2 cups Heaving Whipping Cream
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

 Mix all the crepe batter ingredients together in a blender until smooth.

Pre-heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Spray pan with non-stick spray.

Ladle in batter in the middle of the pan, about 1/4 cup.  Pick up the skillet and tilt it to spread the the batter over the whole pan.

After bubbles form, flip crepe over.  We will cook one side until golden brown and the other side just until done. We want the other side to be pale and pretty like they do in France. Repeat until all the batter is cooked.  

 Add 3 tablespoons butter and olive oil to a preheated over medium-high flame saucier pan
(tall sided pan, similar to a sauce pan but wider).

When the butter and oil no longer foam add the 3 tablespoons flour and whisk for a few minutes.

The extra cooking will cook away the flour taste.  This is a roux, part of a béchamel sauce
(French white sauce).  

Cut shredded chicken into small chunks.

Slice greens onions into small rings, including the white part.

Slice the hard cooked eggs.

Pour heavy whipping cream into roux.

 Add eggs, and green onions to béchamel. Stir to combine.

 Pour garlic powder over sauce and grind salt and pepper directly in to the sauce. Stir until thickened. 

Place a crepe on a plate, add a spoon full of creamy chicken filling and roll like a French enchilada.

Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Crepes

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients for Crepes:

4 large Eggs
2 cups Milk
2/3 cup Water
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
4 tablespoons Melted Butter
Non-Stick Spray

Ingredients for Creamy Chicken Filling:

1 1/2 cups Shredded Chicken
3 tablespoons Butter
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
3 Green Onions
6 Hard -Cooked Eggs
2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
2 1/2 cups Heaving Whipping Cream
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

Process for Crepes:

Mix all the crepe batter ingredients together in a blender until smooth.

Pre-heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Spray pan with non-stick spray.

Ladle in batter in the middle of the pan, about 1/4 cup.  

Pick up the skillet and tilt it to spread the the batter over the whole pan.

After bubbles form, flip crepe over.  We will cook one side until golden brown and the other side just until done. We want the other side to be pale. Repeat until all the batter is cooked.  

Process for Creamy Chicken Filling:

Add 3 tablespoons butter and olive oil to a preheated over medium-high flame saucier pan (tale sided pan, similar to a sauce pan but wider).

When the butter and oil no longer foam add the 3 tablespoons flour and whisk for a few minutes.

The extra cooking will cook away the flour taste.  This is a roux, part of a béchamel sauce (French white sauce).  

Cut shredded chicken into small chunks.

Slice greens onions into small rings, including the white part.

Slice the hard cooked eggs.

Pour heavy whipping cream into roux.

Add eggs, and green onions to béchamel. Stir to combine.

Pour garlic powder over sauce and grind salt and pepper directly in to the sauce. Stir until thickened. 

Pour filling onto crepe, roll up.

Enjoy!

Mini Beef & Potato Pasties

A few years ago, as my contribution to a church social I made beef pasties, and well I haven't made them since.  I tend to be a one hit wonder with certain recipes.  It is a fault I have.  Finally, after thinking about making pasties again, I finally did it.  Today was another bring dinner to a new mom day, just so happens it is the same mom I brought dinner to last Wednesday.  She said her husband doesn't like seafood, but she enjoyed the bouillabaisse and ratatouille without him.  Since seafood was a no go with the new dad, I tried to think like a man and realized meat and potatoes.  Pasties are an Irish meat pie, and are perfect for the meat lover in your life.  

 Meat and potatoes in a biscuit crust, what more  could a man want?  Mushroom gravy too.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Self-Rising Cake Flour
1 1/3 cup Buttermilk (1 tablespoon vinegar with milk added to 1 1/3)
4 ounces cold Butter
2 lbs. Eye Round Beef roast
1 Yellow Onion
4 Idaho Potatoes
2 pints Baby Bella Mushrooms
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons Better Than Boullian Beef Flavor
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Egg Yolk
Cornstarch
Sea Salt
Freshly Cracked Pepper
Garlic Powder

Make sure your butter is cold. Cut half the butter into pats and the other half into 1/2 inch cubes.  

Using your fingers to mix butter and flour to create pea sized balls of butter and flour.

See my flour butter globules?  These are what make the wonderful flaky layers.  Add the buttermilk and knead until a ball is formed.  Add flour if the dough is too wet.

 Voila we have our crust.

Roll on a lightly flour board into a large 1/2 inch thick rectangle.  Fold into thirds, like a letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll and repeat previous steps.  These steps are creating the flaky layers.

 Place folded dough on a parchment lined sheet pan and refrigerate.

Butterfly beef roast.  Rub the beef roast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Rotisserie for
30 minutes or roast in 350 Fahrenheit oven for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature
reaches 145 Fahrenheit.

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

  Rinse, peel, and grate the potatoes.

 Place grated potatoes into a bowl of cold water and allow to soak for 5 minutes.

 Rinse grated potatoes under colder water and place in a flour sack towel, squeeze out the liquid.

Peel and dice the onion finely.

Preheat large skillet over a medium flame.  Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, grated potato and onion.
Stir to coat.  Add salt, and pepper to taste.  Cover and allow to cook for 5 minutes, or until
grated potatoes are browned and soft.

 Dice beef into small cubes.

 Add beef to potatoes and stir.

Roll dough into a large 1/4 inch thick rectangle.  Push a 3 inch round cookie cutter straight down into dough, this will ensure the layers are left intact and repeat till all the dough is cut.

 Add 1 heaping tablespoon of beef potato mixture to the dough, fold in half and seal.

 Place completed mini pasties on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.

Mix egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water.  Brush on the pasties and sprinkle pasties with salt.

Bake pasties for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Rinse mushrooms and sit into slices.  Saute in large skillet over medium high heat with
1 tablespoon olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Add water and Better
 than Boullian.  Bring to a boil.  Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and tablespoon water to begin with.
Add cornstarch slurry to mushrooms and water.  If the gravy is thick enough, it is done, if not,
 make more corn starch slurry and add slowly until desired thickness is achieved.

Serve pasties with gravy to dip in.

Enjoy!

Mini Beef & Potato Pasties
Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

1 lb. Self-Rising Cake Flour
1 1/3 cup Buttermilk (1 tablespoon vinegar with milk added to 1 1/3)
4 ounces cold Butter
2 lbs. Eye Round Beef roast
1 Yellow Onion
4 Idaho Potatoes
2 pints Baby Bella Mushrooms
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons Better Than Boullian Beef Flavor
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Egg Yolk
Cornstarch
Sea Salt
Freshly Cracked Pepper
Garlic Powder

Process:

Cut half the butter into pats and the other half into 1/2 inch cubes.  Using your fingers mix butter and flour to create pea sized balls of butter and flour.

Add the buttermilk and knead until a ball is formed.  Add flour if the dough is too wet.

Roll on a lightly flour board into a large 1/2 inch thick rectangle.  Fold into thirds, like a letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll and repeat previous steps.  These steps are creating the flaky layers.

Place folded dough on a parchment lined sheet pan and refrigerate.

Butterfly beef roast.  Rub the beef roast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Rotisserie for 30 minutes or roast for in 350 Fahrenheit oven for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 Fahrenheit.

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

Rinse, peel, and grate the potatoes.

Place grated potatoes into a bowl of cold water and allow to soak for 5 minutes.

Peel and dice the onion finely.

Preheat large skillet over a medium flame.  Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, grated potato and onion.  Stir to coat.  Add salt, and pepper to taste.  Cover and allow to cook for 5 minutes, or until grated potatoes are browned and soft.

Dice beef into small cubes.

Add beef to potatoes and stir.

Roll dough into a large 1/4 inch thick rectangle.  Push a 3 inch round cookie cutter straight down into dough, this will ensure the layers are left intact and repeat till all the dough is cut.

Add 1 heaping tablespoon of beef potato mixture to the dough, fold in half and seal.

Place completed mini pasties on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.

Mix egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water.  Brush on the pasties and sprinkle pasties with salt.

Bake pasties for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Rinse mushrooms and sit into slices.  Saute in large skillet over medium high heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Add water and Better than Boullian.  Bring to a boil.  Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and tablespoon water to begin with.  Add cornstarch slurry to mushrooms and water.  If the gravy is thick enough, it is done, if not, make more corn starch slurry and add slowly until desired thickness is achieved.

Enjoy!