Do you remember the mini Nutella pies we had a couple of lengthy conversations about during the holidays? (Those conversations, in review, basically went on and on about how amazing they are.) With Valentine’s Day coming up, I wanted to put a little twist on that tried and true favorite. So I started thinking about hearts and I started thinking about really incredible Bonne Maman cherry jam and, well, a little bit of magic was born. These are the perfect little treats for your sweetheart or for the kids. Served up alongside coffee? Brilliant, if you ask me.
- Your favorite pie dough (my go-to recipe is this one from Martha Stewart)
- Flour for rolling dough
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 large egg, with a splash of water
- Cherry jam (or other filling of your choice – think jam, peanut butter or Nutella)
- Lollipop sticks (I picked up a package of the oven-safe kind at Michaels)
- Heart cookie cutter
Before starting, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Start by rolling out your dough until it’s smooth and even, roughly 1/4″ thick. I always encourage making your own dough if you have the time. The flavor is incredible and it’s not nearly as difficult as people want you to believe. That said, in a pinch, you can absolutely buy ready-made pie dough and it will still be delicious! Once your dough is rolled out, use your cookie cutter to cut out as many hearts as you can. Recombine the scraps of dough and repeat until you have a whole bunch of little dough hearts.
Next up, spoon a bit of cherry jam or your filling of choice in the center of half of the hearts. (You’ll reserve half of the hearts as tops!) I like to load mine up as much as I can while still leaving a little border around the outside of the heart.
If you’d like to make these into pie pops, now is the time when you place a lollipop stick on each crust, pushing down with a bit of pressure so it kind of sticks into the dough without pushing through the other side. You can also skip this step if you’d rather just have little mini pies. The choice is totally yours!
Once you’ve licked your fingers, beat the egg with a splash of water. Using your fingertip or a pastry brush, run a bit of egg wash along the border of the crust of the heart. This creates a seal for the top crust. Once you’ve done that, start plopping the tops on the hearts, using a fork to pinch the edges together. (And making them so pretty in the process!)
Next up, give the top of each pie a light coating of the egg wash, to help them get golden and crispy while baking. Take a pinch of white sugar and dust each top and you’re ready for the oven! Bake for 20 – 30 minutes until they’re golden and delicious. I usually start checking mine at around the 15 minute mark, but find that they generally take at least 25 minutes to bake.
[Recipe + styling by Cyd Converse for The Sweetest Occasion. | Photos by Alice G. Patterson.]
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Margaret Middleton
Thursday 13th of February 2020
What a wonderful idea! My family raves about my pies because my homemade crusts are so flaky and fresh. I am making these with boysenberry jam and peach jam to surprise my husband on Valentines Day. Yum! Thank you for a great idea!
Kerry
Sunday 2nd of February 2020
If I make these a day in advance, would I refrigerate them (with strawberry jam), then just pop in the oven to warm right before I need them?
Cyd Converse
Monday 3rd of February 2020
Hi Kerry! Yes, that should work great. If you do that, I would under bake them a bit the day before so they don't get too browned up when you pop them back in the next day to warm them!
Sara
Saturday 31st of August 2019
Would these freeze well ? Say if I made them this weekend for my sons birthday next weekend?
Cyd Converse
Tuesday 3rd of September 2019
Hi Sara! These should freeze great. I would just let them cool entirely, then place them in Ziploc bags or a container and pop them in the freezer. Then let them come to room temperature before warming up on a baking sheet in the oven. I hope this helps!
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