Fruit Pyroshki - Fruit Tarts

A friend sent me a message via Facebook yesterday telling me that she was looking for the recipe for the Pyroshki that belongs to the photo I have posted here on my blog.  This spurred me on to do some baking on this rainy and windy Saturday.  Thank you for the 'reminder' Natalie, I enjoyed my baking day and the house smells amazing.  This recipe is one that my Mother passed down to me, My parents baked these in their Vegetarian Restaurant (Doukhobor Village Restaurant) that was beside the Doukhobor Village Museum - the museum now known as Doukhobor Discovery Centre, it is located just outside of  Casltegar, BC.  Sadly my parents had to close the restaurant due their health.  I have fond memories of  these Fruit Pyroshki that my Mom made when I was growing up and when there was an abundance of fruit from their orchard in the Summer and also in the Winter when this fruit was processed and frozen for later use.

Today in my recipe I am using fresh strawberries and apples, the sour cherries are from my freezer as are the blackberries, which came from the blackberry bush that is growing in my back yard.

I don't have an orchard like my parents had, but in the last few years I have planted an apple, pear, fig, plum and sour cherry tree and have strawberries and raspberry plants too.
 My parents taught me that if you grow your own fruit (and vegetables)
 you can be self sufficient and be able to provide your family with nutritious food.  For this I am very thankful.  'Spaseebo' Mom and Dad'

We enjoy the fruits during their growing season in the summer time and I also freeze quite a bit to have throughout the winter - just like Mom did!  Enjoy this recipe.

Fruit Pyroshki

The ingredients you will need for the Pyroshki dough.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and cut in your butter and shortening.

 Mother used Margarine but I have changed to butter and why shortening too - because Mom says so!

 This shows the butter has been cut into the flour and it's the size of a pea.  Perfect!



The mixed wet ingredients are incorporated into the dry.

The dough should look like this, a bit rough but you don't want to over mix.

It will all come together once you start rolling it out.

Put dough out onto a floured counter and roll it out to approximately 1/4 inch thick.

Re roll any pieces and cut again.

Cut with a large size cutter (as you can see I favour a large glass) to fit into a muffin tin.

If using fresh fruit, wash and cut into smaller pieces.

Add sugar and cornstarch, mix and it's ready to fill the pastry shells.

Peel and great the apples.



Ingredients for the apple cinnamon filling.

  

Such beautiful and delicious plate of 'Summer'.....enjoy with some whipped cream or ice cream.

In my house they don't last too long and are eaten 'as is'.

These freeze very nicely too!

FRUIT PYROSHKI RECIPE

 Recipe will make 2-3 dozen Pyroshki - can be halved.

5 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups butter

2 Tablespoon vegetable shortening

4 large eggs

1 cup milk, (I use 1% but any milk will do)

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Cut in butter and shortening.

In a small bowl whisk eggs and milk together and add to the dry ingredients.

With a spoon or spatula mix the dry and wet ingredients until combined, then place onto a well floured counter and roll out to 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into circles and place into a muffin tin, stretching the dough gently until it is level with the rim of the muffin tin.

Set aside and prepare the fruit fillings.

Fill the pastry lined muffin tins 3/4 full and bake in a 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. (until pastry browns nicely)

Remove from muffins tins and let cool on a rack.  Enjoy.

FRUIT FILLING;

Apple -  2-3 apples, grated, mix with  1 Tablespoon cinnamon and 3 Tablespoons sugar.

Strawberry - 2 cups fresh strawberries, wash and dice, sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons sugar and 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, combine.

Blackberry - 2 cups blackberries, 3 Tablespoons sugar, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, combine.

Sour Cherry - 2 cups sour cherries, 3 Tablespoons sugar, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, combine.

Any fruits of your choice can be used, fresh or frozen, the method is the same.  I don't like to add too much sugar to my fruits if they are very sweet themselves - it's your choice.

'Your life is a message to the world, make sure it's inspiring.'