Sweetie Pie Pops

Happy Valentine's Day to all of my blog reading friends! I have always LOVED Valentine's Day. Of course, Keith and I love and spoil each other all year long, but it sure is fun to have a cheesy, red and pink, chocolate-filled, heart-shaped day on the calendar to remind us all how important it is to be sweet to your sweetie. Oh, and it's the perfect excuse to get crafty and bake something fun. We also had a dessert contest today at work, so I had to go all out. I should find out soon if I 'placed'.

** This just in: I have claimed the grand prize. Yahoo!! Victory is sweet. **

These were not hard to make, just a little time consuming. I looked at several pie pop recipes and tried (and failed) with a couple of different approaches. I finally landed on one that worked and I love how they turned out. Cute as a button and easy as pie.

Sweetie Pie Pops
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Ingredients:

2 boxes of Pillsbury pie crusts
Flour
16 oz of strawberries, hulled and finely chopped
3 Tbsp sugar
1 and 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Turbinado sugar
4 oz chocolate, for melting
25 lollipop or cake pop sticks (I used 6-inch) 

Preheat oven to 375. Set pie crusts out on counter to come to room temperature.

Toss strawberries with sugar and cornstarch.Spread a little bit of flour onto your work surface and place dough on flour. Put a little bit more on the top.

Use a rolling pin to spread the crust out a little bit more, which will give you more pie pops for your boxes. Cut out pieces of dough using your cookie cutter (in any shape you desire). I learned that a bigger shape will hold more strawberries, which tastes better. Otherwise, you have a lot of pie dough and very little filling. I made the most of my extra dough remnants by balling it up and rolling into another layer.

Place dough evenly on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, allowing room between pops and to allow for the pop stick. Place the pop stick in the center of each shape. I positioned mine as close to the top of the shape as possible so that it had the strongest hold.

Place strawberries in the center of the shape, trying not to get much juice. Before placing the top piece of dough down, use your fingers or a rolling pin to roll it a little larger. You'll need it to be bigger so it can fit over the strawberries.

Using a fork or the end of another pop stick, press the edges together all of the way around. Cut a small slit in the center for air to escape. Brush the tops of all the pops with the egg white. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes until it starts to turn golden brown. 

Melt chocolate and place in ziplock bag. Cut tiny hole from the bottom and drizzle chocolate across the pops. 

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You could easily try this with any pie filling you like. I first tested with jams and spreads, but those leaked out all over the baking sheet and there was nothing left inside the pop. So, I would imagine that the thicker the filling, the better. Hence why my chopped strawberries were perfect! These were a popular hit this morning and I can't wait to try other shapes and flavors for other occasions.

XOXO! Enjoy!