Strawberry (Fruit) Picnic Pies

Aren't these cute?!? They remind me of those pre-packaged, processed but strangely delicious Hostess pies I used to eat when I was young.

This recipe comes from The Farm Chicks. Check out her blog - she's adorable & her decor ideas, recipes, & thoughts are always great!

I'm quite sure these will be MUCH better than the ones I ate - better tasting & better for you!

I can't wait to give these a try. With all the fresh berries in season, these should be a regular on our summer menu.

I bet you can try these with peaches or nectarines or even apples... I'll have to try 'em & let you know.

Enjoy!

Picnic Pies

Crust:
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg
1/2 cup cold water

Combine the flour and graham cracker crumbs in a large bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles course meal. Whisk the egg and water together and mix into the flour mixture until just combined. Transfer to a clean work surface and gently press to form a dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, press into a disk shape, and chill for at least one hour.

While dough chills, prepare Strawberry Pie Filling.

Strawberry Pie Filling:
4 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered (cut into eighths if the berries are huge)
1 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients into a medium bowl and stir together until flour and sugar are mixed in. Set Pie Filling aside. Line two large baking sheets with foil or parchment and lightly grease.

Roll out dough onto a floured work surface and roll out to a 1/8" thickness. Use a cereal bowl for a guide, and trace with a knife.

Repeat until the dough is all used up. (Should make about 16-18 dough circles). Divide pie filling evenly between the dough circles, folding and pressing each one closed as you go. Press edges with a fork and prick center for steam to escape. Place the pies on the baking sheets.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is oozing out from steam holes. Remove pies immediately to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely. (They will harden up as they cool to room temperature).

Notes:

These pies will ooze filling as they cook, as the strawberries are very juicy. If you prefer a less juicy/messy pie, don't use all of the juice from the filling mixture when filling the pies.

Your baking sheets will look somewhat - a lot juicy when you remove the pies from the oven. Don't worry, this is normal. Just make sure to remove the pies while they're hot so the filling doesn't stick to the foil/parchment.

I definitely recommend using foil or parchment, rather than placing these directly on the baking sheet. this way, you won't have a huge clean-up when you're done!

Picnic Pies are rustic and don't need to be perfect. They're meant to be enjoyed!