Jammy Raspberry Cream Pretzel Hand Pies

[nverland]

Jammy Raspberry Cream Pretzel Hand Pies
Prep time 30 minutes cook time 15 minutes total time 1 hour 5 minutes servings 8

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH
1 3/4 cups mini pretzel twists
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) cold salted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

FILLING
1 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup fresh blackberries or chopped strawberries
1-3 tablespoons brown sugar, use to your taste
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 cup high quality raspberry or strawberry jam
2-3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 egg, beaten
Pretzel salt or coarse sugar, for sprinkling

**METRIC

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH
74.38 g mini pretzel twists
125 g all-purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) cold salted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

FILLING
120 g fresh raspberries
72 g fresh blackberries or chopped strawberries
1-3 tablespoons brown sugar, use to your taste
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon zest
85 g high quality raspberry or strawberry jam
56.7 g cream cheese, at room temperature
1 egg, beaten
Pretzel salt or coarse sugar, for sprinkling


INSTRUCTIONS
1. To make the dough. In a food processor, pulse the pretzels until they become flour (see above photo for reference). Add the flour and butter. Pulse until the mix clumps together to form pea-size balls. Add the sour cream and 1/4 cup cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together. If the dough feels dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of additional water.

2. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and form a ball. Divided the dough in half and flatten each into round disk. Roll out each disk of dough and cut into a total of 15-16 circles (or cut into 15-16 squares). Chill the dough rounds while you make the filling.

3. In a medium bowl, toss together the berries, cornstarch, and sugar. Add the vanilla and jam, gently toss to combine.

4. Assemble the pies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread 2 teaspoons cream cheese on to the center of half of the circles, then spoon a tablespoon of the filling over the cream cheese, leaving a 1/4 inch border. Brush the edges with the beaten egg. Lay the other half of the dough over the filling and seal the edges by crimping with the back of a fork. Repeat until you've used all the dough. If some of the dough is cracking, don't stress too much about it. It bakes up just fine.

5. Use a small, sharp knife to cut slits into the top of the pies. Cover the baking sheets and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Brush the tops of the pies with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt/sugar. Transfer to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. It's OK if the edges get dark. Serve with ice cream. Enjoy!

RECIPE NOTES
Pie Dough: in a pinch, you can use 2 store-bought pie dough rounds or 2 sheets frozen, thawed puff pastry.

If you don't have a food processor: Replace the pretzels with 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Then, you can use your fingers to mix the butter with the flour until the butter is pea-sized. Slowly drizzle in the cold water as directed.

Cornstarch: I love a runny tart, so I like to use only 1-2 teaspoons cornstarch. If you would like a thicker berry filling, use 1 tablespoon cornstarch.