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The Best Hand Pie Recipes: Sweet and Savory Flaky Pastries Recipe

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  • Author: admin
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 24 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 44 minutes
  • Yield: 10 servings
  • Category: Dessert and Snack
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These delicious homemade hand pies offer a perfect portable snack or dessert. With flaky buttery crusts filled with sweet fruit mixtures like apple-cinnamon, mixed berry, or peach-ginger, or savory fillings like beef and cheddar, these pies are versatile and crowd-pleasers. Made from scratch with a tender dough that is chilled for flakiness, and baked to golden perfection, these hand pies are great for lunchboxes, picnics, or casual gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale

Dough

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 1/3 cup cold sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
  • 5–7 tablespoons ice water
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (optional, helps tenderness)

Apple-Cinnamon Filling

  • 2 cups peeled, diced apples
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • Pinch of salt

Mixed Berry Filling

  • 2 cups mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Pinch of salt

Peach-Ginger Filling

  • 2 cups diced peaches
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • Pinch of salt

Beef and Cheddar Filling

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 small onion, finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

Finishing

  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)
  • Coarse sugar for sprinkling (sweet pies)
  • Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (savory pies)

Instructions

  1. Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut the cold butter into the mixture using a pastry cutter or your fingers until small pea-sized pieces remain. Stir in the sour cream and apple cider vinegar if using. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time until the dough just holds together when pinched.
  2. Chill the dough: Divide the dough into two discs, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to chill. Chilling produces a flaky crust.
  3. Prepare sweet fillings: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine your chosen fruit filling ingredients (fruit, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and salt). Cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes until the mixture thickens and becomes glossy. Remove from heat and let cool completely to prevent leaks during baking.
  4. Prepare savory filling: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add ground beef, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper; cook until beef is browned. Stir in tomato paste and water, simmer 2 to 3 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat, let cool, then fold in shredded cheddar cheese.
  5. Prep workspace: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly flour a clean countertop and rolling pin for rolling out dough.
  6. Roll out dough: Take one chilled dough disc and roll it to about 1/8-inch thickness. Use a 4 to 5-inch round cutter (or a wide mug/bowl) to cut circles. Gather dough scraps, re-chill, and reroll as needed. Repeat with the second dough disc.
  7. Fill hand pies: Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of your chosen filling in the center of each dough round. Avoid overfilling to ensure a good seal. Brush the edges around the filling with the egg wash.
  8. Seal and crimp edges: Fold each circle in half to create a half-moon shape. Press edges firmly to seal, then crimp with a fork to tighten the seal. Cut 2 to 3 small slits on the top of each pie to allow steam to escape during baking.
  9. Chill pies before baking: Transfer the assembled hand pies to the prepared baking sheets and chill them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. This helps them maintain their shape while baking.
  10. Preheat oven and finish prep: Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C). Brush the tops of the pies with egg wash again. Sprinkle coarse sugar over sweet pies or flaky sea salt over savory pies.
  11. Bake the pies: Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 24 minutes, rotating the baking trays halfway through, until the crusts are deep golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and cool the pies on wire racks for 10 to 15 minutes before serving to allow fillings to set.

Notes

  • Chilling the dough and pies ensures a flaky crust and helps maintain shape during baking.
  • Don’t overfill the pies to avoid leaking during baking.
  • Using sour cream or Greek yogurt in dough adds tenderness and richness.
  • The small slits on top of the pies prevent filling from bubbling out.
  • For best results, use fresh or properly thawed frozen fruit for sweet fillings.
  • Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and gently reheated.

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