Method

Preheat the oven to 180 °C.

To make the pastry, place the flour, baking powder, castor sugar and butter in a food processor and pulse to mix. While the motor is running, add the vanilla essence and slowly add the water until the pastry just comes together (you might not use all the water). Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Roll out the pastry to about 3 mm thick and cut out twelve 10 x 10-cm squares.

Place all the ingredients for the cream cheese filling in a bowl and whisk together.

To make the egg wash, whisk the egg and milk together. Lightly brush the edges of the pastry squares with the egg wash.

Spoon 1 tsp (5 ml) of jam and 1 tsp (5 ml) of the cream cheese filling onto the one side of each pastry square, within the egg-basted edges. Fold the squares in half and crimp the edges with a fork.

Place the pies on a baking tray lined with baking paper and brush the tops with the egg wash. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. While the pies are cooling, mix the sugar glaze by adding the icing sugar to the egg white. Whisk well and when the pies have cooled, drizzle the sugar glaze over the tops of the pies and leave to set. Serve at room-temperature.