Gadget Review: Williams-Sonoma Pocket Pies
I spend many a lunch hour roaming the aisles of Williams-Sonoma. Most of the time, I don’t buy anything, I just wonder around touching napkins, fantasizing about KitchenAid Mixers, and sending flirtatious looks to butcher blocks, but every once and a while I see something cute and novel and splurge worthy.
On a recent excursion to my culinary happy place I stumbled across something that was just too cute not to buy: a heart shaped pocket pie maker.
C’est adorable, oui?
It isn’t often that I can afford to leave Williams-Sonoma with a bag in hand; this cutey was only $9.95. Okay, it’s debatable that this little plastic heart thing is really worth $10, but the cuteness was worth a shot.
Heart shaped pie maker in hand, it was time to buy apples. I whipped up a simple apple pie filling.
Simple Apple Pie Filling
serves 4
Dice up apples in itty-bitty cubes, toss with lemon juice and set aside. In a sauce pan combine water, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, and bring to a boil and allow to boil for a couple of minutes until all ingredients are dissolved. Add apples, bring to a boil again, let simmer till apples are soft, approx 7-10 minutes depending on stove. Let cool and voila! apple pie filling.
Next step dough:
I decided to go with pre-made pie crusts, because well sometimes I take the easy way out. But, if you’re all about making your own pie crust, rock the Casbah with your pie making self!
This was going to be easy-peasy! Or so I thought…
The first step to adorable pocket pies is to use the outer edges of your mold to cut pie crusts. Now, I have the heart shaped pie maker, but there are also stars, pumpkins and smiley faces. Choose our own adventure!
Once your pie crusts are cut (with cute little heart shaped venting hole-that generally just becomes a circle in the oven), you’re ready to fill.
Here’s were I ran into trouble. Let me suggest here that once you cut each crust that you immediately place it in the freezer for at least 10-minutes before you attempt to fill your pies. If your dough is soft in any way shape or form you will come up with some sort of ooey-gooey pie filled monster, but it most certainly will not be heart shaped and it might ooze.
Lesson learned-freeze pie crust.
The filling seems simple enough in theory. Put a bottom pie crust on the bottom, scoop a couple of tablespoons of pie filling in the center, top with top crust, smoosh.
The smooshing is where things get difficult. Sometimes the pies come out perfect, but if your crust is too warm or you have a smidgen too much pie filling you could be looking at a mutant pie. This is an art form my friends. AN ART FORM.
It took me a while to get the hang of, but with a little practice my pies started to shape up nicely. Allow for a a learning curve and some unservable practice pies.
Stick your pies in the freezer (again) for another 30 minutes.
Who knew the freezer was such a big part of baking?
Once your pies are stuffed, smooshed, and frozen comes the easy part. Wash the pies with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar, then pop into a preheated oven (400 degrees) for about 15-20 minutes, until the pies are all golden and pie like.
Not quite as easy as I’d imagined as I dashed to the cash register, but definitely adorable and a total crowd pleaser. I probably won’t make these every night, but I will definitely pull out my plastic heart mold when I have special guests over that I want to impress with my Martha like ingenuity.
Plus, when your pie comes pre-stuffed, it’s hard to ask for just “a little piece.” If you’re going to eat, eat big!
Super cute idea and article. I loved your writing style and voice!
What are the latest gadget reviews this month ?~,”