If USING PRE-MADE DOUGH: Skip to “Baking the Dough” section!

Making the Pie Dough

1. Place your butter in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up. Whisk your flour and salt together in a medium-sized bowl. Cut your butter it into 1/2 inch cubes, then toss in the flour to coat. Squish each piece between two fingers to create flat little “shingles” of butter and then use both hands to crumble some of them into smaller pea-sized pieces.
2. Make a well in the center and add 4 tablespoons of ice water. Toss it with the flour (I just use my hands) until mostly incorporated and then add more ice water by the tablespoon until the dough is shaggy, but generally holds together (more crumbly, not wet & sticky). Shape into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
3. After it’s chilled, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a large square (~8×8 inch). Fold in half twice (top to bottom, left to right) so it’s a quarter of the original size. Roll out and repeat the folds again, using more flour as needed. Wrap tightly in plastic and chill in the fridge for another 30 minutes, up to 1 hour (which is best if you have the time).

(Step 3 makes your dough much easier to work with/flakier layers. You can also do this step right after making the dough, just know it’ll be more sticky when handling.)

Baking the Dough

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and prep a large baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out your dough until about a 1/4 inch thick. Cut out dough using your desired shape/cutter (I used a 3 inch round biscuit cutter), making sure to re-roll the scraps (use more flour if needed) to cut out more discs. Space a couple inches apart on your baking sheet.
2. Using a fork, poke a few holes in the top of each (to let steam escape) and then generously brush the tops with your egg wash (1 egg, lightly whisked). Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes or desired browning (go darker for more crunch)—prep your cinnamon sugar in a small bowl while they bake! As soon as they’re out of the oven, carefully dip/toss each piece in your cinnamon sugar to coat. Set aside to cool down on a wire rack bit while you make the frosting dip.

Cream Cheese Frosting Dip

1. In a medium-sized bowl, add your softened cream cheese, sifted powdered sugar, melted/cooled butter, and vanilla paste/extract. Mix/beat together using a wooden spoon until smooth (hand mixer works too) and then whisk in your whole milk by the tablespoon until desired consistency. You want this on the thicker side for maximum dipping potential.

(You can also make the frosting dip while your pie bites bake if you have time!)