Baby Pies

It's like this.  You have no plan for the kids, you need a nap more than they do, the tv's been on all morning, and they want something cool and fun to do.  And they're hungry.  So get out the leftover single pie crust you saved from making that pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving-- you got a problem with me using Pillsbury crust?  Yeah, I know how to make crust from scratch, and a pretty darned good one too, but sometimes it's just nice to unroll a couldn't-be-easier-or-tastier dough boy and pop it in the dish just like that.  How many of you really make your own crust every time you bake a pie?  Wait-- how many of you ever really bake a pie?  Ha!  Got you there, didn't I?  So, where was I?  Oh, take out the leftover single crust and cut it into 6 equal pieces.  Squares, triangles, whatever.  Give each child their own flat piece.  Then give them whatever leftover jar of jam or jelly you have kicking around-- you can imagine there are a lot of choices in my house, so this part is rather fun.  Have them splat on a couple spoonfuls right in the middle of each crust, cut little slits in the non-jammed part of the crust, then fold those parts over to create a sort of pocket of jam.  Seal all the edges together.  Beat an egg, then let your kids "paint" the egg onto each baby pie such that all the crust is covered with egg.  Then let them sprinkle sugar on top too.  Bake it in the oven at 350 until the jam starts oozing out the little slits and the crust looks a lovely golden color-- about 15 minutes or so.  Take it out and let it sit for at least 15 more minutes.  The kids will want to eat their baby pies right away, but they'll be ridiculously hot for a while, so distract them with some less awesome unplanned activity while you wait.  While this is not the most nutritious snack in the world, it is a very special treat, and the girls were rather proud of themselves for making their own little pies with their own little hands.