MONDAY RECIPE POST POSTED ON TUESDAY - STRAWBERRY HAND PIES

This is one I originally made in 2014, and I have not done it for quite a while.  They were made for company and were very well received.  

These days I find myself looking to the freezer more and more, to make things less of a fuss when preparing meals.  Sometimes you enjoy being in the kitchen, other times you want to take things easier, especially if time is short or if you are having company and you would like to spend more time with them when cooking meals.

You can find the original recipe here.  I am always thankful to the many food blogs I come across, and I would like to thank Michelle who created A Latte Food, and for sharing this delicious recipe, as well as many others.


Strawberry Hand Pies - makes 12 hand pies

Ingredients:

For the dough - makes one 9-inch pie crust:

1/2 cup butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup flour

For the filling:

1 cup chopped strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Zest of half a lemon
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
1 beaten egg (for egg-wash)
Extra sugar for sprinkling

Choice of toppings:

Whipping cream
Ice-Cream
Powdered sugar

With a mixer cream butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy.

Add in flour and mix just until dough comes together.  Place the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 to 60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place parchment paper on a pan and set aside.

On a floured or powdered sugar surface, knead the dough a couple of times until it is a nice round ball.  Then roll the dough into a circle with a rolling pin, about a 1/4 inch thick.

Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut out as many dough rounds as possible (about 5 to 6).  Place the dough rounds on sheet pan.

Form the dough back into a ball and roll out again.

Cut out 5 to 6 more rounds.  The recipe should yield 12 dough rounds, so keep repeating this step until you have 12 rounds (because of the cream cheese in the dough it will not get tough or overworked like traditional pie dough).

In a small bowl gently combine chopped strawberries, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and cornstarch.

Fill each pie round with 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling.

Take one side of the dough and pull it over the filling.  

Use a fork to crimp the edges together and poke an air hole at the top of the pie.  Do this for all of the pies.

Brush each pie with egg wash.  Sprinkle with white sugar.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the pies are golden brown.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar, top with ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy!

What did we think of this recipe?  It was another one that we enjoyed very much.  
  
As always when I make something for the first time I find myself changing a few things out of necessity.  

I changed the lemon to lime zest.  I had no lemons and wanted to use the limes I had left over.  

When mixing up the strawberry filling, I thought I had cornstarch tucked in the back of the pantry but couldn't find it, so I used 2 tablespoons of flour instead.

I didn't have a form but used a fork to press the edges together.

What I like about this hand pie, apart from the fact that it was delicious, is that it is great for portion control.  A lovely dessert without feeling that you went overboard.  

These would be easy to freeze.  Let baked pies cool, then wrap and freeze.  Thaw out overnight in fridge.  Preheat oven to 350 deg.F, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until heated through?  Be careful of filling and cool before you eat.  Best to check timing and adjust for your own oven.  Ours tends to run on the colder side, and I usually add on extra time if needed.

We wanted something light and ate a very a simple main meal beforehand; sliced roast chicken with steamed broccoli and a baked potato.  This Strawberry Hand Pie made for a lovely ending to the meal.