Peach Hand PIes - Why Did I Buy This? The Pocket Pie Former.

Summer Baking - Peach Hand Pies

Hi Everyone,

Here are the recipes to go along with today’s Sunday Baking Tutorial - Peach Hand Pies - Episode 4 of WHYDIDIBUYTHIS? This time I will save the video - video tutorials for the making the pie dough.

I hope you enjoy this series. Happy Baking! XO Colette

Why did I buy this - the Pie Pocket Press mold

Where to find one today?- pastychefcentral.com

https://www.pastrychef.com/POCKET-PIE-MOLD-PRESS_p_3307.html

Hand Pie Crusts (yield) 10-12 Hand Pie
Recipe can be cut in half and is grams for greater accuracy. Contact me for volume measures at bakingwithcolette@gmail.com
Yield: 8-10 Hand Pies

454g All Purpose Flour (King Arthur is recommended)
14g sugar
4g salt
170g unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
102g vegetable shortening - frozen
6g apple cider vinegar and/or lemon juice
150g ice water

Method:
Place the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Toss ingredients together with a bowl scraper or whisk.
Using a bowl scraper or whisk, cut the butter into the dough until it looks like flakes.
Add shortening cut in until it looks like oatmeal.
Sprinkle apple cider vinegar over the flour and butter mixture.
Add the ice water, (holding back a little) using the bowl scraper, in a folding and pressing motion work the liquid into the flour and butter mixture. This will take a few minutes.
If there is dry flour residue on the bottom of the bowl, add water 1 Tablespoon at a time around the edges.
Continue to add water and mix until the pie dough is a cohesive mass and no flour residue remains on the bottom of the bowl.
Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface.
Give the two optional folds as shown in the demo. Divide into half, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours before using.
The pie dough can remain in the refrigerator for 24 hours, before using and can be frozen for up to one month.
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using. If the dough is very cold, let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before rolling out.

Peach Filling:
Peach notes: How to remove the skin - fill a medium saucepan halfway with boiling water, with a paring knife cut an “X” into the bottom of the peaches, drop in boiling water for 1 minute - the skin should be curling away from the cut, drop into a bowl of ice water, let cool and then peel. Slice each peach into 12 chunks.
Ingredients:
6-7 medium sized peaches, peeled, skinned, stone removed and cut into 12 pieces - (cut each piece in half horizontally and then into 3 pieces lengthwise. (About 4 cups)
71g Flour
113g Sugar
15g Lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
Pinch Nutmeg
In a medium sized bowl, combine peaches, dry ingredients and lemon juice. - set aside while rolling out hand pies.
Rolling out hand pies:
Equipment:
Bench flour, rolling pin, perfection strips - optional, fork , pastry brush, sheet pan lined with parchment, hand pie former or ruler, 4X5” is the measurement, fork to crimp
Egg wash: One egg beaten until perfectly smooth with a pinch of salt. Chill until ready to use.

Assembly:

Roll out dough ⅛” of an inch, use a hand pie former or large round cutter 4 ½”.

Fill with about 1 ½ Tablespoons of filling - do not overfill. Move filled pies to parchment lined sheet tray.

Egg wash edges and top with second piece of dough. Seal and crimp edges, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. With a paring knife cut 2-3 slits in the top of each pie.

Oven preheated to 425 degrees.

Bake hand pies for 20-22 minutes until they are an overall beautiful golden brown.

The 7" Tart Pan - Episode 3 - Why Did I Buy This? Live on IGTV

Hello Bakers,

Episode 3 is all abut the 7” tart pan I thought would save my first marriage. I know that is a real crazy town concept but that is what I thought. When I bought this pan, another one that I have been carrying around for decades, I imagined creating all sorts of beautiful small tarts. I would serve these after delicious meals - my first husband had a sweet tooth - so having some leftover was also part of the plan.

Little did I know, that nothing I could have done would save this marriage but when you are young, blind and naive… oh well.

As you know - WDIBT is not about judging our kitchen ware purchases but rather getting more out of them or moving them on to someone who will.

Most likely, I will donate this pan the next time I head off to Goodwill or the Council Shop but first - let’s use it to make a simple chocolate tart.

You might have a tart pan in your equipment cupboard just begging to be used. It’s easy to be seduced by French tin tart pans - they shine in cookware stores - separated by French paper so that the don’t scratch each other. Endless possibilities…

This amount f dough can be used to make any size up to a 9” - and it fills a rectangle tart pan and a square and tartlet pans - size matters but shape does not.

I realized that this little series has not been getting much traction - so I am assembling it live on IGTV. How to get to that point is outlined right here. Please share if you think it is useful…I would love to reach a larger audience.

Here are the components to the easy chocolate ganache tart.

I have to apologize - I went live on Instagram with the tutorial not realizing that it wouldn’t save - but next time I will film it so that it captures.

Sweet Tart Pastry (enough for a 9” tart pan)

Equipment: Scale, 9” tart pan with a removable bottom, Rolling pin, Pie weights (optional), or beans and rice.

Ingredients:
177 g all-purpose flour
43 g sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon (1g) salt1
114 g unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
2 egg yolks (36g)
1 teas. vanilla extract (8g)
1 Tbsp water (15g)
Mixing by Hand
1. Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl.
2. Add the butter and cut it into the flour until it is the size
3. Combine the egg yolks, vanilla and water in a small bowl.
4. Sprinkle the egg mixture on top of the flour. Mix with a dough scraper, folding the dry ingredients against the sides and bottom of the bowl until the dough forms a cohesive mass.
5.Transfer the dough to a work surface and smooth it briefly and gently. The goal is just to bring the dough together. Do not overwork.
Flatten the dough into a 1/2” disk and wrap the dough in plastic wrap or parchment paper and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow the flour particles to hydrate and the gluten to relax.
6. Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick and cut to fit your tartlet pan. Form the dough in the pan and then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Mixer Method (Dough)
1. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter.
2. At low speed, mix (turning the mixer off and on) until the butter is the size of peas.
3. Combine the egg yolks, vanilla, and water in a small bowl.
4. Add to the flour mixture, and mix on low speed until the dough barely comes together.
5. Transfer the dough to a work surface and smooth it briefly and gently. The goal is just to bring the dough together. Do not overwork. Flatten into a disk 1/2" thick, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours before rolling out.

Tart pan lined with crumpled parchment paper, filled to the brim with baking beans and rice. Bake at 350 for 22 minutes.

Remove the parchment paper and beans and return the crust to the oven for 10 more minutes - this crust has to be fully baked before it is filled.

Ganache:

8 ounces (227g) semi sweet chocolate, chopped if bar or chips
8 ounces heavy cream

1/4 cup raspberry jam

1. Bring the cream to a rolling boil.

2. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for 20 seconds.

3. Stir with a spatula until smooth.

4. Spread jam in the bottom of fully baked tart pan

5. Pour ganache into tart shell.

6. Chill for 2 hours.

7. Decorate with fresh berries and serve

   Refrigerate Leftovers
   

Instant Yeast - When to Hydrate Tutorial - Ingredient Function

Hello Bakers,

This tutorial started out as extra content for work - then I realized it was helpful for any of us working with Instant Yeast. I always hydrate my instant yeast and you know if you have been in any of my Craftsy classes that’s what we do.

In this 7 minute tutorial I show why that is a good idea. If you have seen little specks in your dough when working with instant yeast then please take a look at the video.

A little ingredient function is always a good idea - and I have not abandoned “Why Did I Buy This?” as I promised myself I would produce at least 5 episodes. Next episode, I will featuring the tart pan that I thought might save my marriage. I know.

Why Did I Buy This? Episode 2 - The English Muffin Rings

Hello Bakers,

Here is Episode Two of Why Did I Buy This? Or WDIBT? It’s all about English Muffins and English muffin rings. !Homemade English Muffins are worth the effort. If you have these English muffin rings then you are halfway there. And they can be made with out the rings as well. But the rings help hold their shape. For a very credible DIY version you can cut the bottom and tops off of tunafish cans but you want to use a can opener that leaves smooth edges. So the old fashioned kind the leaves a horrible jagged edge cannot be used.

Below you will find the step by step tutorial and the recipe is underneath. If you have these - please comment below. Do you ever sort through your baking equipment and ask yourself “Why did I buy this?”

English Muffin Recipe - Episode 2 - Why Did I Buy This?

Yield: 7 large muffins

Equipment: Stand mixer with the dough hook, half sheet pan lined with parchment paper,

pan for resting dough in refrigerator,plastic bowl scraper, plastic wrap, pan spray, spray bottle with water or bowl of water for shaping. English muffin rings (optional), skillet or griddle to cook muffins, spatula or small pancake turner.

454g Bread flour

6g Instant yeast

227g Milk

113g Water

18g Butter, melted

14g Sugar

9g Salt

**Cornmeal for dusting pans

Combine milk and water in the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer, add yeast, stir 10 secs,

and let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved.

Add the flour, sugar, butter and salt.

Attach the dough hook and mix for 1 minute on low speed. Stop the mixer and scrape down.

Increase speed to medium/low and mix for 8 timed minutes. (The dough will be sticky and not clear the side of the bowl.)

Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 - 40 minutes at room temperature.

Lightly spray the pan used for resting the dough, spray the bowl scraper with water and scrape the dough onto the pan. Give the dough 1 fold - this strengthens gluten.

Cover with a spray piece of plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours.

Next day line half sheet tray with parchment paper, spray and sprinkle liberally with cornmeal. Spray rings if using and place rings on the prepared pan.

Next day divide the dough into 113g portions, stretch, round and smooth - wetting fingers helps with shaping.

Place shaped dough into rings, flatten with wet fingers.

Proof English muffins until they are just to the top of the rings. Cut the parchment paper around the rings.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the skillet over medium heat, add a little oil to film the bottom of the skillet.

Pick up the cut square and use it to invert into the skillet. Remove parchment paper square.

Cook until the bottom is golden brown and the flip. When both sides are golden brown,

move back to the sheet pan. Carefully remove the rings - they are hot use gloves or a dry towel.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes as the muffins are thick. When they are fully baked they will register 210 on an instant read thermometer be a light golden brown on the sides as well as tops and bottoms. Leftover English muffins freeze well.