Fruit Pockets

An old-school hand pie that wraps a tender biscuit dough around a sweet, boozy-tasting filling of raisins, currants, citron, and chopped nuts perfumed with cinnamon, allspice, and clove. The dough sits closer to a flaky scone than a pie crust, which makes these come together fast without any chilling or rolling out cold butter.

Cake flour is the choice here for a reason. Its lower protein keeps the dough soft and cakey, where all-purpose would give a chewier bite.

The three short cuts across the top aren’t decorative. They vent steam so the pockets don’t burst at the seams when the filling heats up and bubbles. Skip them and you’ll have a baking sheet covered in jammy leaks.

Brush the edges with egg white before folding. That’s your glue, and it’s what keeps the seams sealed when the pastry puffs up in a hot oven.

Pro Tips

• Cut the butter in until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Overworking gives a tough biscuit.
• Soak the raisins and currants in the orange juice for 10 minutes before mixing the filling. They plump up and release more flavor.
• Use a fluted pastry wheel instead of a knife for prettier edges that also seal more securely.
• Let them cool for 5 minutes before lifting. The filling is molten straight from the oven.

Variations

• Swap the citron for chopped candied orange peel or dried cranberries for a brighter flavor.
• Add a tablespoon of dark rum or brandy to the filling for a holiday version.
• Use chopped dried apples and walnuts in place of the dried fruit mix for a fall variation.