Almond Puff Pastry Pies

These  little  pies, which  are  filled with  nuts—almonds,  pine nuts,  pistachios,  or  walnuts—can  be  served  with  tea  or coffee,  either  dusted with  confectioners’  sugar  or  dipped  in syrup.

• It is important to roll out the puff pastry as thinly as you possibly can. It is easier to do so if you cut the block into four equal pieces and  roll out each one  separately. Dust the  surface  and  the  rolling  pin with  flour,  and  roll  out the  sheet  of  pastry,  turning  it  over  and  dusting  it  with flour, until you can cut out 6 rounds with a 4-inch pastry cutter.  Put  the  rounds  in  a  pile  and  wrap  the  pile  in plastic wrap. Do the same with the remaining pastry.
• Mix the filling ingredients to a paste. Put a tablespoon of  the filling  in  the  center  of  each  round  and  bring  the edges  up  together  over  the filling  to make  a  half-moon shape.  Seal  the  edges  by  pinching  them  very  firmly together. A traditional way is to twist the edges making a scalloped effect; another is to press down the edges with the prongs of a  fork. Moistening  the edges with a finger dipped in water helps to make the pastry stick.
• Arrange  the  pies  on  sheets  of  foil  on  baking  trays. Brush  the  tops with melted butter  and bake  in  an  oven preheated  to  400°F  for  about  15 minutes,  or  until  they are  puffed  up  and  lightly  golden.  Let  them  cool  before dusting with confectioners’ sugar.