Little pocket pies take just minutes to make and are easy for young children help prepare and eat once cooled. They store well in the refrigerator or freezer and can be reheated in a toaster oven by older children. They are a fun activity for children’s parties.

Pocket desserts

To make small fruit dessert pies, you will need: 1 can of apple, cherry, or blueberry pie filling; 4 packages of eight-count crescent rolls; 1/4 cup melted butter; cinnamon; and sugar or powdered sugar to sprinkle on top.

Unroll your crescent rolls into individual flat triangles. Drop two apple pieces or an equal size of other berries from your filling. Use more fruit than filling. Bring all of the corners together and pinch closed along the sides like a stuffed pocket. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until pockets are a golden color. They may overflow slightly. Allow to cool. You can drizzle with melted butter or sprinkle with a few shakes of the sugar mixture.

Filling varieties

Young children can help make little nutritious pockets. You can use two 8 ounce large or several packages of small crescent rolls. See above.

These vegetable pockets may have a little cooked ground beef, or precooked very thinly sliced turkey, chicken, or ham pieces. You will need one large carrot thinly diced, 1/3 cup frozen peas, 1 1/2 cup mashed potatoes (optional), one small piece of thinly sliced cheddar cheese per crescent roll, and the crescent roll dough.

Cook thoroughly 1/2 pound ground beef, drain and dab with paper towel to remove grease. Add 1 large cooked carrot finely diced to the meat and stir. Carrots can be cooked until tender a few minutes in the microwave before being added to the meat. Add 1/3 cup frozen peas and stir until softened. Add 1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes (optional).

Unroll large or small crescent rolls. Place 1/4 slice of cheese or more for larger rolls on a crescent roll and layer with meat mixture, just enough so you can gather the edges of the small rolls as above or roll over large crescents. For large rolls use a fork to press along edges to seal the pocket. Bake according to package directions.

Older children may like taco pies, made like a taco only used to fill these pies. Be sure to dab grease with a paper towel. Children may also like little pizza pockets with their favorite pizza filling as long as they are not greasy. Dab any greasy meat like pepperoni. The grease makes the pocket hard to manage and messy.

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