Hi! I’m Rebecca, a commercial and editorial food and brand photographer with a studio in Nashville, and I specialize in helping chefs, restaurants, bakers, and makers market with soulful images to elevate their brands, connect with clients, and sell more of their work. I also photograph food for cookbooks and magazines including Edible Nashville and Tennessee Home & Farm.

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Featured Post:

Homemade Raspberry Pop Tarts

December 23, 2020

Raspberries Nashville food photographer

 

Homemade Raspberry Pop Tarts

Photos by Rebecca Denton Photography

Nashville Food Photographer

Can you believe it’s the end of December? We’ve made it to the week of Christmas and almost to the end of this crazy year!

One of the things I love about this season is the coziness of baking our favorite family desserts, the kind that you only really make around the holidays.

But I’ve also started trying some new recipes, and one of my favorite finds is a raspberry hand pie. These rectangular pies look fancy, but they’re actually so easy to make, and they’re perfect for Christmas morning when you want a special breakfast treat. You can even assemble these pies the day before and keep them in the fridge on a baking sheet until you’re ready to pop them in the oven.

They’re also fun to make with kids because even toddlers can cut out shapes in the dough and sprinkle the sugar, and these little pies come out all flaky and delicious like an up-leveled pop tart!

(I tried these using pre-made dough, but it just wasn’t the same. For the best experience, make your own dough – it’s fast and worth it!)

Ingredients:

For the dough:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 Tbs. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

6 Tbs. very cold water

For the filling:

1-1/2 cups fresh raspberries

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3 Tbs. raspberry preserves

1-1/2 Tbs. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 egg whisked with 1 Tbs. water

Turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

To make the dough by hand, in a large bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with the butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the water and mix with a fork just until the dough pulls together.

To make the dough in a stand mixer, fit the mixer with the flat beater, and stir together the flour, granulated sugar and salt in the mixer bowl. Add the butter and toss with a fork to coat with the flour mixture. Beat on medium-low speed until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with the butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the water and beat on low speed just until the dough pulls together, adding more water 1/2 tsp. at a time if needed.

Transfer the dough to a work surface, cut the dough in half and pat each half into a ball, then flatten and shape each into a square. (Although many dough recipes call for chilling the dough at this point, this dough should be rolled out immediately for the best results.) Lightly flour the work surface. Working with one square of dough at a time, flatten with 6 to 8 gentle taps of the rolling pin. Lift the dough and give it a quarter turn. Lightly dust the top of the dough or the rolling pin with flour as needed, then roll out into a 13-inch square about 1/8 inch thick.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a pastry cutter, trim 1 piece of dough into a 12-inch square, reserving the trimming scraps. Cut the square into 12 rectangles, each 4 inches long and 3 inches wide. They will be the bottom crusts of the pies. Transfer the rectangles to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Repeat to trim the remaining piece of dough and cut into 12 rectangles. Using a small cookie cutter, cut a venting hole in each of these rectangles. They will be the top crusts of the pies.

To make the filling, in a bowl, combine the raspberries, granulated sugar, raspberry preserves, cornstarch and cinnamon. Using a fork, gently crush the raspberries and stir until the mixture is cohesive.

Spoon 1 1/2 Tbs. of the raspberry filling in the center of each solid rectangle. Brush the edges of the dough with some of the egg wash and top each with a rectangle with the cutout pattern. Decorate the tops of the pies with the reserved cutouts and trimming scraps, brushing with egg wash so they’ll stick. Firmly press the edges of the dough together, then use a fork to crimp the edges. Brush the tops of the pies with egg wash and sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar (or granulated sugar if that’s what you have). Place the pies in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, position 1 rack in the lower third and 1 rack in the upper third of an oven and preheat to 375°F.

Bake the hand pies until the filling is bubbling and the crusts are deep golden brown, about 35 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let cool slightly, then serve the pies warm or at room temperature. The hand pies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 400°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes. Makes 12 hand pies.

Photos by Rebecca Denton Photography

Recipe from Williams Sonoma

Looking for another easy dessert? Check out Banana Ice Cream With Roasted Almonds.

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Rebecca Denton is a food and brand photographer with a studio in Nashville.

615.400.8535

rebeccadentonphotography@gmail.com