- 8
Ingredients
- Perfect Pie Crust Dough:
- 1 recipe of Perfect Pie Crust Dough (recipe below)
- 4 oz. Cream Cheese
- 1 T. Sugar
- 1 T. Sour Cream
- 1 Egg, beaten(divided)
- 1 C. Pumpkin Pie Filling
- 1 T. Evaporated Milk
- Oil, for frying
- Cinnamon Sugar, for coating
- White Chocolate, melted(if desired)
- 1 1/2 C. Flour
- 1 t. Sugar
- 1/2 t. Salt
- 1/8 t. Baking Powder
- 5 1/2 T. Shortening, chilled
- 4 1/2 T. Butter or butter spread, chilled(I actually prefer the butter spread because it makes the crust even flakier)
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 2 t. White Vinegar
- 1/2 C. Cold Water
- 2-3 Ice Cubes
- for Egg Wash:
- 1 egg
- 2 T. Milk
Preparation
Step 1
Pie Crust Dough:
Place the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor. Place the lid on and pulse the mixture a few times to blend.
Add the butter and shortening to the crust, 1 T. at a time, pulsing a few times with each addition(don't run the processor consistently). When the butter and shortening are added, pulse a few times more, or until the butter is cut down to pea sized pieces.
Mix together the cold water, vinegar, egg yolk, and ice cubes. Let chill for a minute or two. Add 3-4 T. of the mixture to the dough 1 T. at a time, pulsing a few times after each addition until the dough comes together, but is not too wet. Chill immediately while you prepare to roll out the dough. Dough should be cold and firm before going into the oven.
Use and bake according to the specific recipe you are using.
*Makes 2 single crusts or 1 double crust pie
TO BAKE A PIE SHELL: If you haven't already, brush the pastry around the edges with an egg wash(1 egg and 2 T. milk beaten together).
Place a sheet of tin foil over a chilled pie crust and gently pat it down to fit around the inside.
Fill the pie shell with dry beans to weigh it down.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Remove the pie from the oven and take out the tin foil and beans. Reduce the oven heat to 375 degrees.
Place the shell back in the oven and bake for an additional 7-10 minutes, or until the shell is golden brown and the center of the shell is crisp.
Shell can be filled when cool.
Pies:
Make the pie crust according to recipe instructions. Keep chilled until ready to roll.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a small mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and the sugar.
Add the sour cream and 1/2 of the beaten egg. Beat until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl once or twice with a rubber spatula. Set aside.
Mix together the pumpkin pie filling, the remaining half egg, and the evaporated milk until smooth.
Pour the mixture into a small(loaf pan sized) oven proof baking dish and bake the pumpkin pie filling for 15-20 minutes, or until set.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Heat about 2-3" of oil in a heavy pan.
Roll out the pie crust to a 1/8" thickness. Cut the dough into several 3-4" circles.
Place about 1 T. of cheesecake filling and 1 T. of baked pumpkin pie filling in the center of each pie crust circle. Fold each pie crust round over into a crescent shape and seal the edges with the tines of a fork.
Fry each pie in the hot oil for 1 1/2-2 minutes per side, or until golden brown on each side.
Remove from oil and drain for 2 minutes on a paper towel.
Coat the pies in cinnamon sugar and drizzle with melted white chocolate before serving, if desired.