Picnic Pies

Picnics are one of summer's greatest treats, so why not make each picnic delicious? I devised these pies to be highly portable and free of the need for any silverware. The crust is deliciously flaky and the strawberry filling tastes like a sweet kiss of summer. I bet you can't eat just one!

Crust:

3 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 1/2 cups cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 egg

1/2 cup cold water

Combine the flour and graham cracker crumbs in a large bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles course meal. Whisk the egg and water together and mix into the flour mixture until just combined. Transfer to a clean work surface and gently press to form a dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, press into a disk shape, and chill for at least one hour.

While dough chills, prepare Strawberry Pie Filling.

Strawberry Pie Filling:

4 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered (cut into eighths if the berries are huge)

1 cup brown sugar (not packed)

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine all ingredients into a medium bowl and stir together until flour and sugar are mixed in. Set Pie Filling aside. Line two large baking sheets with foil or parchment and lightly grease.

Roll out dough onto a floured work surface and roll out to a 1/8" thickness. Use a cereal bowl for a guide, and trace with a knife.

Repeat until the dough is all used up. (Should make about 16-18 dough circles). Divide pie filling evenly between the dough circles, folding and pressing each one closed as you go. Press edges with a fork and prick center for steam to escape. Place the pies on the baking sheets.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is oozing out from steam holes. Remove pies immediately to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely. (They will harden up as they cool to room temperature).

Notes:

These pies will ooze filling as they cook, as the strawberries are very juicy. If you prefer a less juicy/messy pie, don't use all of the juice from the filling mixture when filling the pies.

Your baking sheets will look somewhat - a lot juicy when you remove the pies from the oven. Don't worry, this is normal. Just make sure to remove the pies while they're hot so the filling doesn't stick to the foil/parchment.

I definitely recommend using foil or parchment, rather than placing these directly on the baking sheet. this way, you won't have a huge clean-up when you're done!

Picnic Pies are rustic and don't need to be perfect. They're meant to be enjoyed! :)

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Comments

[Mary]

We'll definitely try your recipe...looks yummy! Here in the Midwest, they call these Hand Pies and they're drizzled with a powdered sugar icing...mmm, guess what we'll be baking up this week?! Thanks for sharing your recipe. -Mary

[Tammy]

I like the idea of graham cracker crumbs in with the flour. I've never made pastry/pie dough from scratch, but your recipe looks easy and mighty tasty, too! I think I'm going to try my hand at it. Thank you for sharing, Serena! You're a very giving friend. :)

[Jenn M.]

Just perfect! Thank you! The napkins and pic is cute as pie ;0)

[donna o]

Graham cracker crumbs! So simple yet so ingenious! Once the heat breaks around here I will give these a try and even play around with the filling :0)!

[dana]

AWESOME IDEA! I am going to make some of those!!! Great photos, too!

[Laura]

Yum! I can't wait to try these. Thanks for the idea.

[gena]

Looove the look of these!! Strawberry season is over here in NY, but I will try these with raspberries, blueberries, peaches, or some combination. And WHERE could I find those precious napkins??

[Shannon]

What an adorable and delicious looking treat! I love when you share such wonderful recipes :) Have a great week!

[GINGER]

Those picnic pies look sooo yummy!! I think my girls and I will have to whip up some of them this week and have ourselves a picnic, just so we can have the pies! Thanks for sharing!! Ginger :)

[Cheryl]

very fun can't wait to try them! cute napkins too where did those come from?

[Katelyn]

Serena! Thank you thank you for this recipe! oh! and I am esp happy about the graham cracker crumbs in it!
So, I ate a mini pie the other day, and I went to read the ingredients on it..... which I shouldn't have. It had BEEF FAT in it! SICK!
I will be trying this soon!

Much love from a big fan!

[RubyJean]

Oh My...those look incredibly delicious...and how perfectly sweet they look nestled in their pouch...

[Linda Stubbs Prairie Flower]

I like this a lot!!!!!!!!! Looks very very nummy! I will have to try....real soon. Thank you for being so nice and giving out the recipe!

Hope you weather is cooler then ours.......it has been in the 100's......our crops need rain real bad.

Having a little giveaway if you would like to come and sign up. Would love to have ya!

Blessings, Linda

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=537723040]

Can you make this same filling the same way with peaches?
Great pictures!
Dj

[Julie]

I am crazy for those napkins! And the pies look so good too! Where did you find the napkins. Thanks for sharing.

[Brenda]

Hi Serena, I love both the recipes you have posted! It's winter here in Australia at the moment, but come summer I am making both of these for sure. Just one question, we don't have graham crackers here is Australia, I was wondering what they were, I presume a plain, sweet biscuit??

[Mark Weedman]

Definitely moving these recipes to the top of today's to-do list!

[Linda Bowen]

Love the look of your rustic picnic pies. I'm the 'pie lady' at our Market, and next week, thanks to you, my customers will have a new treat.
http://lindalou-sheeplessinhoneymoonbay.blogspot.com/

[Rachel]

ooh yummy! You could team them up with Cornish Pasties for the savoury part ;)

[Susan]

To Brenda- Graham crackers are a unique flavor (biscuit) made from graham flour. Do you have Belgian (Lotus) Speculoos there? I think those crushed would substitute VERY nicely!

To Serena- Is there any way to successfully omit the egg in the crust recipe?

[Lise Hamack Pettigrew]

I made these pies today from strawberries in our garden. My family LOVED them, and they are so easy to pack in lunches. Thanks for detailing this great recipe. I just found your site today - I'll definitely be back.

[Claire@My Costume Express]

Wow! What an adorable strawberry pie! It looks sumptuously delicious. This recipe is definitely a must try recipe! Great for picnic and snacks. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

[Serena]

Brenda, if you're wanting to omit the egg in the recipe, I suggest just using a favorite pie crust recipe of yours for these.
:) Serena

[Serena]

Brenda in Australia:
Darn! I forgot that Australia doesn't have graham crackers. They are a cross between a cookie and a cracker and are sweet. They're made with graham flour. A substitute for you with this recipe would be whole wheat flour, to give it a bit of an in-depth flavor, which is what I was aiming for with the graham cracker crumbs.
All the best,
Serena

[Lovemyryley]

I'm not sure what I did wrong. I'm not sure if it was me, or the recipe but I felt like the crust lacked a lot of flavor, it needed something. Salt maybe? Or sugar? And I didn't get anything from the addition of the graham cracker crumbs. The filling tasted good. IF I make these again I think maybe adding some coarse sugar to the top or maybe a pinch of salt to the dough.

[Dee]

did you use self-rising flour, or plain?