P-p-p-p-pocket pies!

I am a sucker for kitchen gadgets. Not a big surprise to anyone, I know - but I can never pass up the coolest and latest epicurean toy to hit the market! One new (to me) toy is the pocket pie mold/press from Williams Sonoma. From what I gather, they have had this product out for a few seasons now and introduce different shapes every once in a while. I have a gyoza mold/press (works horribly - as all good Asians should know - gyoza skins should be pinched, not pressed!) so I know how the concept works. Basically two shell molds are joined with a hinge. The centres of the mold sides are concave (or convex depending on the angle, I suppose) to leave room for the filling and the edges are flush so that they will 'press' together and seal.

So here is my combined review/recipe for the Williams Sonoma pocket pie press:



As a coworker remarked, "this is good for people who really like pie crust."

Very true indeed.

The pies are small - maybe 5" in diameter and since the crust has to be thick enough to contain the filling, it is indeed a dessert (or snack?) for a crust-lover! It was a lovely Martha pate brisee crust, so I had no complaints. However, I think the designers had perhaps erred on a few areas - for one, the pie crust still had to be flattened out to cover the filling! The mold 'edge' is also a crust cookie cutter. This is smart in that the mold will be able to cut out the right size of pastry for the press. However, once you gently push the pastry in the shell and get the top half over, the pie edge considerably shrinks and doesn't get a proper seal (not to mention uneven). I had to press on the edge with a fork to properly crimp the edge. The lattice top, while very cute is a little difficult to cut out - it's not sharp enough to cut all the holes completely so I had to get in there with a paring knife.

At this point - the press is pretty much a glorified cookie cutter! But for novice pie makers (like myself), it's a handy tool to get you started. If you don't use the lattice top or fill your pie too generously, I can see someone using this tool with success! Not to say that it was UNsuccessful, just a bit too work-heavy for my taste. I might have just used my biscuit cutters to make pocket pies instead!

The Bottom Line:

Buy it if it's on sale and you want to 'give it a try', but don't consider this a must-have in the gadget drawer!

Pate Brisee Recipe Here.

Fruit Filling

3 cups of fruit (peeled, cored, cut into small chunks if needed)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons tapioca (quick cooking)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and let sit for 30 min for the juices to release.
Fills 6-8 pocket pies.

Remember to use an egg wash & sprinkle with coarse sugar! Bake for approx 25-30min (350F oven).