Mini Pizza Pocket Pies

Golden brown, delicious, and much better than those other pizza pockets found in your local grocery store

I made these mini pocket pies recently for a kids' party and decided to fill them with pizza toppings since I thought it would appeal to the kids. I didn't end up going, but I enjoyed these just the same. The dough is very tender, great for rerolling, and awesomely flaky. I'm excited to try this dough out for apple pocket pies. chicken pocket pies, and anything and everything that comes to mind. You can pretty much use whatever filling you want and make the pies bigger for a meal or smaller as appetizers. They're great for parties since you can make them ahead, freeze them, and then just bake them off the day you need them. They actually taste better when baked straight from the freezer because the crust is flakier.

Cream Cheese Pastry Dough
Adapted from Mad Hungry
Makes about 35 mini pocket pies, 20 larger ones

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
1/2 cup cream
1/2 tsp fine salt(double the amount of coarse salt)
3 cups all purpose flour, more for rolling

Mix together the butter and cream cheese by hand, with a mixer, or in a food processor until relatively well combined. Blend in the cream and salt. Then add the flour, mixing until it just starts to come together. Finish by hand.

Divide into two flattened disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight.

When ready to assemble, roll the dough out thinly on a floured surface to about 1/8 of an inch or less flouring as needed. You want it to be thin, but not too thin that it will break when filled. Use a glass or a small bowl about 4 inches in diameter to cut out rounds of dough. Cut out rounds about 5 inches in diameter for the bigger pocket pies.

Fill with about 3 tbsp of filling, 1/4 cup for the larger ones. Seal and crimp with a fork or seal in any way that you please. Be sure to seal them tightly as they can open up when baked. Freeze in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment, then place the frozen pocket pies in a ziploc bag for longer storage.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lay the pocket pies out on a sheet pan, brush lightly with egg wash(a beaten egg + 1 tbsp water) and bake for about 35 minutes.

Pizza Filling
1/2 cup pepperoni slices, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup mozzarella, cut into about 1/4 inch cubes
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 tsp italian seasoning(or mix of dried thyme, oregano, rosemary)
1 tsp granulated garlic
black pepper to taste