Concord grape pocket pies

I don’t know about you, but when the calendar turns to September and the temperature dips a few degrees, I’m ready to get my bake on. Cookies, muffins, cakes and crumbles — you name it, I’m baking it. In a few weeks it’ll be all things apple and after that a pumpkinpalooza, but for the month or so that they’re in season I’m making all kinds of delicious goodness with Ontario Concord grapes. And let me tell you, they make a scrumptious filling for pie.

I made these ones with a Nordic Ware pocket pie press but I think it’s pretty safe to assume you don’t have one so I’m including instructions on how to make them by hand. Don’t be put off by all of the steps. It really is easy as pie!

The recipe calls for just two cups of grapes, so you’ll have plenty left over to snack on as you’re baking. Save yourself a tonne of trouble and buy the seedless ones.

Ready to get your bake on? Let’s do this!

Try them and let me know what you think!

Concord grape pocket pies

Make 6 six-inch pocket pies

Ingredients

2 nine-inch ready-made pie crusts, frozen

2 cups seedless Concord grapes (a combination of 1 cup grapes, 1 cup blueberries is also deelish)

2/3 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 heaping tablespoons cornstarch

1 egg

Exta sugar for sprinkling

Directions

Set pastry out to thaw.

Stir cornstarch in 1/3 cup of water and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring grapes, 1/3 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar and the lemon juice to a boil. Lower to medium heat and stir for 5 to 6 minutes.

Stir cornstarch and water again until well mixed, then add to the grape mixture. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes until fully incorporated and mixture starts to thicken. Spoon into a bowl and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Beat egg and set aside.

Once the pastry has thawed, use a six-inch springform pan or plate to trace six-inch circles in the pie crust. (You should be able to get two circles out of each crust and two more out of the scraps.)

Brush the edge of each circle with the beaten egg, place two tablespoons of the filling on one half of the pastry, then fold the other half of the pastry over the filling to make a pocket.

Crimp the edges of the pocket with your fingers or a fork and brush egg wash over the entire surface. Sprinkle with sugar and cut a couple of vents in the top.

Place pies on a silpat-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the tops turn golden.