I Just Found Out That the Tortilla Press Is a Brilliant Time-Saving Hack When Making Pies

Summer calls for delicious tacos and wraps, and I love my tortilla press to quickly press fresh tortillas for both. But it appears this kitchen tool has a use I never even imagined: It can be used to press dough for pies as well!

It appears that its pressing capabilities can be applied in a range of ways that are quite useful and time-saving. “The most tedious part of making pies is rolling the pastry dough out,”  Winnie Macbailey, a recipe creator and food photographer, says in an Instagram post.

In the Instagram post, Winnie slices pastry dough, but then — rather than grabbing a rolling pin — she puts the dough in a cast iron tortilla press and presses it down. The dough, which doesn’t stick to the press because it’s surrounded on both sides with parchment paper, comes out flat and perfectly round. 

From there, it’s incredibly easy to make deliciously adorable hand pies. Just add filling to the rounds, and fold over into a half-moon shape. Be sure to crimp the edges to hold in all that filling. These hand pies are basted with an egg wash and then ready for the oven.

While this method of making pies cuts back on time and labor, it doesn’t cut back on quality or results. It’s also a brilliant way of giving an already beloved kitchen tool more purpose.

Now I’m interested in finding out what other tools around my kitchen have additional purposes I haven’t figured out yet!