Harry Potter Pumpkin Pasties

You know when you zonk out in front of the TV and watch something that you’ve seen thousands of times already? Well, this past weekend there was a Harry Potter marathon on and, as usual, it sucked me in. I’ve been a HUGE Potter fan since the books first came out. As a teacher, my mom is pretty aware of great new children’s books on the market…so she bought me The Sorcerer’s Stone before most people had even heard of Harry Potter and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Many years later and the stories still captivate my attention.

One of the few times I got off the couch, I decided to make some pumpkin pasties inspired by the books. Cornish pasties are traditionally savory, but since Harry and Ron bought these off a sweets cart, I figured a sweet version would be great. They turn out like light handheld pumpkin pies. So simple to make – literally whisk, plop, fold, and bake. Delicious!

**You can also find the original version of this recipe (and many more) in The Unofficial Harry Potter Cook Book**

Crust:

2 frozen (thawed) pie dough or 1 pate brisee (pastry dough)

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk (or water)

Filling:

1 cup pumpkin puree

¼ cup evaporated milk

¼ cup sugar

3 tablespoons cream cheese (room temperature)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Dash of nutmeg

Pinch of salt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Whisk together the pumpkin, milk, sugar, cream cheese, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

Whisk together the egg and milk – reserve…this is your egg wash.

Roll out your pie dough or homemade pastry dough so it’s about 1/8 inch in thickness.  Then use a standard sized margarita glass to cut circles out of the dough.

Put about 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of each circle. (You will have leftover dough…just ball up the scraps and roll out again).

Fold over one side of the circle so the dough forms a crescent, enclosing the pumpkin filling. Pinch/crimp the ends shut. Repeat.

Brush the top of each pastie with egg wash.

Sprinkle with extra sugar if desired. Cut a slit into the top for air to escape.

Bake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet for around 30 minutes (my last batch only took 25 mins).

Serve and enjoy!