Surprise Pies!

Surprise Pies

1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cottage cheese
dash of salt
Jam of choice
Powdered sugar
Combine and set aside:1 egg
1 tablespoon ice water

Place the butter, flour, cottage cheese and salt in a food processor fitted with steel blade. Process until it forms a ball. Let rest a half hour, covered in the refrigerator. You can also work the ingredients together with your hands or a pastry cutter until you have a workable ball of dough.

Roll the dough out as thin as you can with a rolling pin. Cut into two-inch circles. Place a small amount of jam to one side of the dough and fold circle of dough in half, forming a half moon. Crimp the edges with the tines of a fork. Brush with egg and water mixture. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven for about 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to rack and dust with powdered sugar while still warm. Makes approximately 36 pies depending on actual size of cookie cutter used.

These little pies are not overly sweet but I’ve yet to hear a complaint. For a fancier presentation, you can dust them with powdered sugar before serving. The fun is using two or three types of thick jam. No one knows what flavor they will get but I doubt that will stop them from having another . . . and another . . .

I am a person who uses recipes as points of reference rather than directions! I was an art major in college and have re-channeled my creativity into homemaking. My husband and I always felt it was very important to connect with our children. The rule of the house is that everyone shows up for dinner. It not only provides togetherness but give me a ‘captive’ audience for my latest culinary endeavors. My earliest memories were of cutting out (rather messily, too!) cookies with my mother. I fixed my first Thanksgiving dinner at age twelve and have been experimenting in the kitchen ever since. We are a one-income family and I find gifts from the kitchen keep the budget in line yet shares the warmth of our home, hearts and hearth.