Recipe: Mini Pumpkin Spice Hand Pies

Make a few batches of these delicious Mini Pumpkin Spice Hand Pies recipe for Halloween and Thanksgiving, they are easy to prepare and delicious.

Ingredients

‘–Pie Crust
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour ~ or ~ 1 cup white whole wheat flour & 1 1/2 cups white unbleached a/p flour
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
20 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, preferably a high-fat, European-style butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 to 10 tablespoons ice cold water
Pumpkin Spice Filling
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon. pumpkin pie spice

Directions

Pie crust: In a food processor, briefly pulse together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until mixture forms chickpea-size pieces (3 to 5 one-second pulses). Be sure the butter is cold at this step. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until mixture is just moist enough to hold together. You should be able to pinch it & it stays together.

Form dough into two balls, wrap with plastic and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to 24 hours before rolling out and baking.

Roll out the dough about 1/8 inch. Roll out the second disk, also 1/8 inch & cut out shapes with a cookie cutter, place shapes on a cookie sheet. Refrigerate all dough until ready to use.

Pumpkin filling: Stir to combine all ingredients until well incorporated.

To assemble: Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit with the racks in the middle. Spray two baking sheets with cooking oil. Take one disk of dough out of the fridge and let it sit out for 15-20 minutes until its soft enough to roll. On a floured surface roll the dough to 1/8 inch thick. Continue to flour the surface as needed.

Cut pumpkin shapes out with a 2 inch pumpkin cookie cutter. For each hand pie cut eyes out of one pumpkin, the top piece, these will serve as vents while they bake.

On the bottom half, rim the edge with some water. Place 1-2 teaspoons of filling in the center. Place the top on & crimp the top & bottom together with a fork. Continue this process until the pies are all filled.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the hand pies are golden brown. Let cool & enjoy.

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Halloween Cookies

Ingredients

Directions

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Skillet Seared Chicken with Shallots

Ingredients

Directions

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi

Ingredients

Directions

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Simple Strawberry Sauce

Ingredients

Directions

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: One-Pot Tomato & Spinach Pasta

Ingredients

Directions

~ Marla Meridith

Pesto Tortellini Salad

Ingredients

Directions

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Lit’l Smokies Mini Pretzel Hot Dogs

Ingredients

Directions

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Lit’l Smokies Grilled Hot Dog Mac ‘n Cheese

Ingredients

Directions

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Strawberry Feta Salad with Balsamic Dressing

We love this simple, fresh and healthy Strawberry Feta Summer salad with a delicious homemade balsamic dressing. Enjoy as a side dish or main course.

Ingredients

‘–for the salad
6 cups artisan lettuce, rinsed, dried and coarsely chopped
2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped
1 1/2 cups feta cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
for the dressing
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl.

To make the dressing: Add all ingredients into a mason jar. Shake until well combined. Using a piece of lettuce for tasting, dip it into the dressing and add salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the salad with dressing to taste before serving.

This dressing will last for a few weeks stored in the refrigerator, simply shake before serving to emulsify it again.

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Quinoa Breakfast Bowls

Ingredients

Directions

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Scones

Ingredients

Directions

~ Marla Meridith