Teensy-Weensy Turnovers

Aren't these darling? Kids of all ages can't help but fall head-over-heals in love with these little guys - they are just so adorable! And if cuteness wasn't enough, they are a breeze to make, relatively inexpensive, and you don't have to have any special equipment to make them. Wouldn't these would be a fun little project for the wee-ones to make the next time you have a rainy Saturday and nothing fun to do?
I got inspired to make them after reading about the Pie Pops that swept the web a few weeks ago. I went home to make them only to find that I only had four lollipop sticks left in my supplies. So, instead of making pie on a stick (which is really pretty ingenious), I made turnovers.

I made mine with apple pie and blueberry pie filling, but really the sky's the limit. You could use jam, nut butter, fresh fruit, even a few chocolate chips, or sweetened cream cheese. What would be your filling of choice?

Teensy-Weensy Turnovers
Yield: About 24-30 or so cookies

Turnovers
1 package (2 sheets) of refrigerated pie crust (or make your favorite recipe) - at room temperature
A few tablespoons of the pie filling of your choice
1 egg white, whipped with a fork until frothy

Glaze
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Milk (enough to be thin)

Few tablespoons of cinnamon sugar (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Flour your counter with a little all-purpose flour. Unfurl the pie dough and cut as many 2-inch circles that you can. You can use a round cutter or fluted and if you don't have a cookie cutter, use a plastic lid or a glass to cut the dough. Using a fork, gently prick the top-center of the dough to make vent holes.

Repeat process with the remaining scrap dough (you'll need to roll it out first before cutting). I found that after you roll out the dough scraps, the dough doesn't bake up as evenly. It's still very good, it just doesn't look as pretty. Just for fun, try making little gallettes with your left over dough.

2. Directly below the holes, in the bottom-center of the circle of dough, place about 1/4-1/2 teaspoonful of your pie filling - seriously, it's a tiny amount. Be careful not to overfill or it will cause your turnover to burst open and make it difficult to close.

Using your finger or a Q-tip, very lightly, moisten the edge of the pie with just a teeny-tiny amount of water. If you can see water, then you've used too much -- you just want to make it tacky. Use a paper towel to blot the excess water (or pie filling) away if necessary.

3. Fold the top of the pastry up and over the filling so that the edges of the dough line up and press down slightly to make sure that it sealed.

4. Now -- you can stop here if you want, but for that extra special crimped look, slowly "stamp" the edges of the little turn over using a lollipop stick or even a toothpick. I think this is what makes it look very "turnover-y".

With a clean pastry brush, brush the entire surface of the pastry with the whipped egg white. This will make them look shiny and golden brown when they come out of the oven. Transfer to ungreased cookie sheets (I baked mine on Silpat mats). Bake in the center of the oven for 9-12 minutes or until golden. Remove to wire racks to cool.

To make the glaze, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk for it to be thin enough to drizzle. Use a fork to drizzle the glaze over each turnover. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if desired. Let dry completely. Store in an air tight container.