HEARTS: Day 5 (aka PIE DAY!)

Enough crafting already.

Let's make some pie!

(heart shaped, of course)

Individual heart-shaped pies
make the perfect Valentine gift
or party treat.


I am filling these with homemade applesauce,
but store bought would work just as well!
(same goes for the crust)

I used beet juice to tint my applesauce pink.

It's totally natural and does not affect the taste.

Feel free to use regular food coloring.

(or you could whip out the classic red hot trick)

For two cups of applesauce,

I used 1 T of beet juice.

Roll the dough out to about 1/4" thickness,

and cut with a heart cookie cutter.

Lay out hearts on a baking sheet.

Place a generous teaspoon-full

of applesauce in the middle.

Go easy on the filling,

so it doesn't ooze out the sides too much.

(a little oozing is ok)

Top with another heart pastry piece.

Seal edges with fingertips.

Cute!

With a sharp knife,

cut an "x" in the middle

for venting.

I also used my beet juice to color

some sanding sugar pink.

About 1 teaspoon of beet juice

to one cup of sugar.

It clumps when you pour it in,

but just stir and stir

until it all blends together.

The moisture in the beet juice

helps the sugar stick
 to your hearts!

Now bake them at
350 degrees

for 20 minutes.

Cool on rack.

They are perfect packaged

up in a cello bag with

a paper doily and clever tag.

Sweet

Hearts

Indeed.

Be Mine,

Christine