Sweet and Quick Pie Pops Perfect for Snack Time
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: 30 min
- Cook time: 15 min
- Makes: 26 pieces
- Cost: Low
PRESENTATION
Pie pops—really good stuff—are those tasty snacks that bring so much joy, especially when they're all lined up with their golden, colorful crusts. In Italy, particularly at family gatherings or kids’ parties, you'll find these pie pops made from two types of pasta brisée—one bright green from spinach and the other a colorful red thanks to tomato. So here's the thing, the dough is rolled out and cut into stars, hearts, or whatever shapes you fancy, turning this into a playful and pretty food that's as fun to look at as it is to eat. Really, the colored dough isn't just for show—it adds a little extra flavor to every bite. When you crunch into one, you experience that mix of crispy outside and a dolci veloci filling, making each piece intriguing. Not your average merenda; these are little pieces of art on a stick, and kids (and frankly, adults too) can't help grabbing more than one.
At Italian buffets or for a quick merenda after school, pie pops are the snack everyone wants to try. Really, the best part is how easy it is to make them your own—people fill them with all sorts of tasty stuff, from tender cheese to savory veggies or even a bit of ham, so every bite can be a surprise. If you like dolci su stecco that are fun to eat and look good on the table, these are perfect. And look, the colors really pop when you arrange them together, and the moist fillings keep things from ever getting boring. Folks in different parts of Italy sometimes add their own twist, maybe using local herbs or veggies for even more variety. These little ricette facili are great for anyone who likes to get creative in the kitchen, making snack time or any party a little more special. Whether you're planning a treat for kids or want to impress your friends with a batch of snack dolci that look as good as they taste, these pie pops are always a win. The aromatic flavors and colorful presentation make them a really hard-to-resist choice for any occasion.
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INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for 26 pie pops
- Caciocavallo cheese 3.5 oz (100 g)
- Prosciutto cotto 1.8 oz (50 g)
- Sun-dried tomatoes in oil 1.75 oz (50 g)
- for tomato shortcrust pastry
- Butter 3 ½ tbsp (50 g)
- Type 00 flour 0.8 cup (100 g)
- Water 1.2 oz (35 ml) - chilled
- Triple concentrated tomato paste 1 spoonful
- Fine salt to taste
- for spinach shortcrust pastry
- Butter 3 ½ tbsp (50 g)
- Type 00 flour 1 cup (120 g)
- Water 2 ½ tbsp (35 ml) - chilled
- Garlic 1 clove
- Spinach 1 ½ cup (50 g)
- Fine salt to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- for garnish
- Egg whites 1
- Poppy seeds to taste
How to prepare Sweet and Quick Pie Pops Perfect for Snack Time
To make the pie pops, start by preparing the red shortcrust pastry following our recipe for tomato shortcrust pastry: mix the tomato paste in the ice-cold water 1. Proceed with the rubbing-in method: place the sifted flour, cold butter, and a pinch of salt in a mixer and blend until you get a sandy mixture. Place the mixture on a work surface in the classic fountain shape and add the tomato paste diluted in water to the center 2, knead everything quickly until you get a compact dough. Once ready, wrap your shortcrust pastry in a sheet of plastic wrap 3 and let it rest in the fridge for at least 40 minutes.
Now focus on the green shortcrust pastry: sauté the spinach with a drizzle of oil and a clove of garlic 4, when they are soft, transfer them to the mixer and blend them with the amount of cold water that should be added to the flour, which is 35 ml 5. Continue by rubbing the flour and butter in a mixer 6,
then pour the mixture onto a work surface and add the chopped spinach 7, knead to combine the ingredients 8, then form a dough ball, wrap it with plastic wrap 9, and place it in the refrigerator to set for about 40 minutes. Now prepare the filling: chop the caciocavallo and ham, pat the tomatoes with absorbent paper to remove excess oil, and then cut them into small pieces as well.
At this point, everything is ready to assemble the pie pops: take the tomato shortcrust pastry dough, roll it out with a rolling pin 10 until you get a 1/16 inch thick sheet, cut out the desired shapes with cookie cutters 11, making sure they are double, brush the dough cutout with the egg white, fill the center with sun-dried tomatoes and caciocavallo 12,
place a food stick in the middle 13, then close it with another cutout of the same shape 14. Set the pie pops aside on a baking tray lined with parchment paper 15.
Proceed the same way with the green shortcrust pastry: roll out a sheet about 1/16 inch thick 16, brush it with egg and fill it with the caciocavallo and cooked ham filling 17. Close it with another dough cutout 18.
If you want to make the pie pops even more colorful, you can cut out small shapes 19 to apply to the pie pops, alternating colors to create a nice contrast 20. Before baking them, brush the pie pops with egg white 21
and if desired, garnish them with poppy seeds 22, then bake them in a preheated static oven at 356°F for about 15 minutes (if using a fan oven, at 320°F for 5-10 minutes). Once cooked, let the pie pops cool slightly 23 and then serve them by sticking them in a vase as if they were delicious little flowers 24!