Valentines day is upon us…what to make for my sweetie? It needs to be heart shaped, it needs to be red, and what is his favorite dessert?  Pie!  Little heart pies will be perfect!  I got this cool little pocket pie maker for my birthday and I just haven’t had time to play with it. Now is the time!  It worked very well, but you could also do it by hand with some cookie cutters, or just cutting out shapes with a paring knife. I used my favorite pâte brisée for the pastry and frozen strawberries made a terrific filling. Jam would work too. Easy and quick. That way there’s more time for the bubble bath and the chocolates and champagne…a girl can dream….

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Kids will love helping with this project. Let them cut out the pastry and make their own shapes. What fun gifts to take to the neighbors or teachers, or just to enjoy at home with the family on this special holiday.

Print Recipe Here

Heart Pies for my Valentine

Makes 4
Prep time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Pastry

1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup cold butter
1/4 cup ice water
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Place 1 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder in a shallow bowl. Using a grater, grate 1/2 cup butter into the flour mixture, fluffing the shreds with flour as they fall from the grater. Break up any clumps with your fingers. Mix 1 tablespoon vinegar into 1/4 cup ice water and sprinkle on the flour mixture, stirring with a big fork, or your fingers until the water is absorbed into the flour and a dough comes together. You may need more or less water. Do not overwork the dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes while you make the filling.

Filling

1 cup frozen strawberries (also wonderful are cherries or blueberries)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cool water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Place 1 cup strawberries and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Cool.

Assembly and baking

2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons coarse sugar
2 ounces melted bittersweet chocolate (optional)

Preheat oven to 400º.  Roll out the pastry on a floured work surface to about 1/8-inch thick. If you have these fancy-dancy pie molds, follow the directions on the box. If you don’t…. cut out 8 large hearts. You will have to re-roll scrapes to get 8 hearts. In 4 of the hearts cut out tiny hearts to create a vent and show the filling. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of the plain heart. Place the cut out heart on top and press the edges together. Use a fork to seal the edges. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden. If you like, drizzle melted chocolate on the plate to serve, or over the pies. Or dust with confectioners’ sugar. Or just dig right in and enjoy!

Makes 4