Strawberry Hand Pies

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Bursting with sweet summer flavor, these Strawberry Hand Pies are the perfect treat to use all of the sweet summer strawberries. Flakey, buttery, lightly sweetened pie crust filled with in-season strawberries, a little bit of orange zest, a splash of vanilla, and just enough sugar to add the right amount of sweetness to each and every bite. It’s the perfect summer snack for picnics, weekends, or just whenever you have sweet summer strawberries that you need to use! Bonus? You can really use any berry or a mix of berries to create the ultimate summer treat. It’s so simple, but SO delicious!

About The Recipe

We’re heading into the weekend with these sweet strawberry hand pies. Honestly, I have been SO excited for these summer days, as it really feels like it’s the perfect time for outdoor picnics.

And, one of our favorite additions to any picnic is…well, hand pies!

Last summer, we shared our first hand pie recipe and we have been obsessed with them ever since.

Though, this year, we wanted to to change things up and make some with all the fresh strawberries we have on hand. I don’t know about you all, but this summer, we have had LOTS of fresh strawberries at our local farmers market!

They’re so fresh, so sweet, juicy, and full of flavor. We have been really loving them and wanted to share a recipe that was simple in flavor to really allow them to shine!

So, with our super simple pie dough in hand, we whipped up a super simple strawberry filling and created one of our new favorite strawberry treats!

What Are Hand Pies?

A hand pie is, essentially, a mini pie! It’s still got the top and bottom crust, but made so it will fit in your hand. The pies are typically made with either sweet or savory fillings, but for ours, we chose to do a spiced peach filling to celebrate the summer.

Reasons You Will Love These Strawberry Hand Pies

• They’re SUPER simple to make.
• The crust is flakey, buttery, and so easy to make.
• The strawberry filling is NO COOK and you only need one bowl to mix it up!
• A perfect treat to take on picnics.
• Each and every bite is oh-so summery.
• Ready in just under 2 hours!

Equipment Needed

• Food Processor
• Rolling Pin
• Circle Cutters
• Sheet Pans
• Mixing Bowl
• Rubber Spatula
• Pastry Brush

Ingredients

Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

For The Crust:

• All-Purpose Flour – You don’t need any specialty flour with this recipe! Regular un-bleached all-purpose flour works perfectly and yields a tender, but oh-so delicious crust every time.
• Granulated Sugar – A touch of sugar not only sweetens the pie crust, but it also promotes even-browning!
• Salt – An essential in baking. Salt adds depth of flavor, while also enhancing the flavors of the baked good it’s added to. No baked treat is complete without it!
• Unsalted Butter – Butter is the secret to tender, flaky, and delicious pastry. We chose to use unsalted butter for this recipe to help us control the amount of salt in the recipe!
• Cold Water – This is what brings the pie dough together. Though, it MUST be very cold water, as anything warmer may melt/soften your butter, and keep this crust from coming-together/baking properly.

For The Filling:

• Chopped Strawberries – Using fresh, in-season strawberries work best for this recipe.
• Orange Zest – Adds just a little brightness and compliments the flavor of the strawberries well.
• Granulated Sugar – Enhances the flavor of the strawberries while also making them perfectly sweet!
• Vanilla Extract – Gives a sweet undertone to the filling.
• Salt – Enhances the flavor!

For The Egg Wash:

• Large Egg – Not only does an egg promote browning, but it also makes each pastry shiny!
• Water – Loosens the egg and makes it easier to brush onto the pastries.

How To Make Strawberry Hand Pies

Step 1: Make pie dough

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a dough blade. Pulse a few times to mix.

Add butter, a little at a time, processing after each addition.

Add enough water to bring together into a workable dough.

Step 2:Refrigerate

Remove from bowl and divide in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes (or freeze for 10).

Step 3:Prepare filling

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir well. Set aside.

Step 4: Make egg wash

Make egg was by whisking together egg and water. Set aside.

Step 5:Roll, cut, and assemble

Unwrap and place chilled dough onto a piece of parchment paper or a silicone mat sprinkled lightly with flour. Lightly sprinkle top of dough with flour. Roll to ¼ inch thick.

Cut out circles with a 4 inch round cutter. Repeat with second piece of dough. Place half of dough circles on prepared pans.

Place ⅛ cup of strawberry filling in center of each dough round. Brush edges with egg wash.

Top with remaining half of dough circles. Press to seal. Press edges with a fork to ensure pies are sealed.

Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired. Use a sharp knife to cut small steam holes in the top of each pie. Freeze for 15 minutes.

Step 6:Bake

Move pies straight from freezer to oven. Bake for 35 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.

FAQ’s and Troubleshooting

How To Store

Once these hand pies are baked and cooled, the best way to store them is in a zip top bag and freeze for up to 2 months!

Substitutions

• Frozen strawberries can be used instead of fresh. Just remember to thaw them first!
• To make this recipe vegan, use your favorite plant-based butter and non-dairy whipping cream to brush the crust.
• Store-bought pie dough may be used, but we can’t guarantee the outcome.
• If you don’t have unsalted butter, you can use salted butter. Just omit the salt in the recipe

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Expert Tips

• If you have a small food processor, you need to make the pastry in 2 batches.
• Be careful to not over-work your pie dough! It can be very easy to do inside a mixer. You simply just want everything to come together. Be sure to watch it closely!
• Keep your pie crust COLD! The refrigerator is your best friend with this recipe. When not working with the pie dough, it needs to be in the fridge.
• Cut as many circles as possible per piece of dough. The more you re-roll, the tougher the dough with be and the more shrinkage you will have.
• With your strawberries, be sure to dice them! Halves or quarters will be too big to fit inside the hand pie.
• When filling the hand pies, try and avoid as much of the liquid as you can. If you spoon in a lot of the liquid, the hand pies are more likely to leak/burst.
• Freezing before baking cuts down on shrinkage.
• You can top these hand pies with sparkling sugar or a simple vanilla glaze.
• Don’t throw away the excess liquid from the strawberries! This can be kept and used as a strawberry flavored syrup for drinks.

When you make these Strawberry Hand Pies, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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