Love is in the air
Everywhere I look around
Love is in the air
Every sight and every sound

If you don't recognize these lyrics from John Paul Young then I suggest looking it up. It's a song that I think is perfect for Valentines Day. Not only is love in the air in every sight and sound but also in the smells too. There's nothing like smelling some nice treats being made in the kitchen, especially when that treat turns to be heart shaped. There are lots of heart shapes every where you turn and your food should not be an exception. Today I want to share with you our Cherry Pie Heart Pops with made from scratch pie crust. It's not only a delicious treat but perfect for Valentines Day.


Yields: 6

Time: 45 Minutes

Here is what you'll need:

Ingredients:

For pie crust:

1 1⁄4 cups all purpose flour (plus more for rolling dough)

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons ice water

Additional ingredients and materials for pies:

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 large egg, with a splash of water

Cherry jam (or other filling of your choice)

Lollipop sticks (oven-safe)

Heart shaped cookie cutter (found at Dollar Tree)


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


2. Make pie crust: In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, and sugar several times to combine. Add butter. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed with fingers (if needed, add up to 2 tablespoons more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time).

Do not over process.


3. Roll out dough until it is smooth and even, roughly 1⁄4” thick.


4. Use heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out hearts. Recombine the scraps of dough and repeat until you have 12 hearts.


5. Spoon a bit of cherry jam or filling of your choice into the center of half of the hearts. Keep the border around the outside of the hearts clean.


6. Place a lollipop stick on each crust, pushing down with a bit of pressure so it sticks into the dough. Then, place plain dough hearts on top. Place heart pies onto a baking sheet.


7. Use a fork to pinch the edges of each pie together. Next, brush egg wash onto tops to allow them to get golden and crispy while baking.


8. Sprinkle a bit of white sugar on top. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

Now serve and enjoy. You can even add a decorative bow to the lollipop sticks to make it look even more festive.