Pumpkin Pie on a Stick

To everyone that is a pumpkin pie lover, this is for your.  Everything is better on a stick, but surely not a requirement of this recipe.  It is just as easy to serve as a small individual pie.  You may also substitute the crust for a package of thawed puff pastry and make it easy on yourself.

Crust:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup butter, chilled and cut into pieces

1/4 cup shortening, chilled and cut into pieces

2-4 Tbsp. cold water

Filling:

1 14 oz. can  pumpkin puree

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup packed brown sugar (taste and if you like it sweeter, add more)

1 large egg

Sugar for top

1 egg, lightly beaten

Popsicle sticks (Optional)

Make the pastry: in a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and shortening and use a fork, pastry blender, wire whisk or the “pulse” motion of the food processor to blend the mixture until it resembles coarse meal, with lumps of fat no bigger than a pea.

Drizzle the minimum amount of water over the mixture and stir until the dough comes together, adding a little more a bit at a time if you need it. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disc, wrap it in plastic and chill for at least half an hour.

Meanwhile stir together all the filling ingredients and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out 1/4″ thick. Cut into 2″-3″ rounds with a cookie cutter or glass rim, and brush the edge with beaten egg. Place a lollipop stick on the edge, overlapping the pastry by about 1/2″, and place a spoonful of the pumpkin mixture in the middle of the pastry circle. Top with a second circle and press the edges with a fork to seal. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with a little more beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Makes about a dozen pie pops. 

If you are serving as a dessert and not with the stick, drizzle the plate with a little caramel sauce and/or serve warm with ice cream.

You know you can make these with any kind of fruit filling year round.  You can always put a happy face on them.  You don't have to make them in circles either.  So you don't waste any of the dough, cut them in rectangles or squares and fold into a triangle.  Make sure you make a couple of cuts to vent them though.

Tomorrow another savory pumpkin dish.  I think I'm finally running out of pumpkin recipes unless someone wants to share a really good one.

Be happy and may God bless you and yours.