Description
Delight in these homemade Strawberry Hand Pies featuring a flaky pie dough filled with sweet roasted strawberry filling infused with vanilla and citrus. Perfect for a portable dessert or snack, these hand pies combine buttery crust with luscious, slightly caramelized strawberries, ideal for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Flaky Pie Dough:
- 3–1/4 cups (400 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (18 grams) kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (454 grams) unsalted butter, cold 82% butter fat recommended
- 1/2 cup ice cold water
Roasted Strawberry Filling:
- 8 cups (1075 grams) fresh strawberries, sliced into rounds
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 vanilla bean (optional)
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Hand Pies Assembly:
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon milk or cream
- Turbinado (raw cane) sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Make the Pie Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the flour mixture. Using fingers, smash butter into flakes about the size of quarters until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
- Add Water: Gradually add 4 tablespoons of ice water and fold with a wooden spoon until dough looks shaggy. Add more water one tablespoon at a time if needed. Use fingers or palms to smear dough along bowl sides, then fold dough over itself to gather any dry bits.
- Roll and Fold Dough: Pour dough onto a floured surface, press into a rectangle about 10 x 8 inches. Lightly flour top and roll out to the same size. Fold dough into a letter fold using a bench scraper. Repeat rolling and folding two more times.
- Chill Dough: Divide dough in two, wrap each piece in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 45 minutes. Dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen for 2 months.
- Prepare Roasted Strawberry Filling: Preheat oven to 425°F for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, combine sugar and scraped seeds from vanilla bean (if using). In a large bowl, mix chopped strawberries, 1/2 cup vanilla sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Spread mixture on a half-sheet pan and roast in oven.
- Roasting and Sweetening: After 15 minutes, carefully taste and add more sugar in 1/4 cup increments if needed, stirring after each addition. Continue roasting, stirring every 10 minutes, until syrup thickens and bubbles around edges.
- Cool Filling: Remove roasted strawberries from oven and scrape into a heatproof bowl. Let cool to room temperature. Filling can be used immediately or refrigerated up to two weeks.
- Roll Dough for Pies: Remove half the dough from fridge. If chilled overnight, let sit 15 minutes. Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness, cut circles slightly larger than 4-inch cutter. Wrap scraps, chill for 20 minutes, and reroll for more pies.
- Assemble Hand Pies: Brush half of each dough circle with egg wash (egg whisked with milk). Place 1 tablespoon of strawberry filling in center, fold dough over to seal, and press edges with fork. Chill pies on floured sheet tray for at least 30 minutes.
- Bake Pies: Preheat oven to 375°F. Place chilled pies on parchment-lined tray, brush with egg wash, cut three slits on top and sprinkle generously with raw sugar. Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and pies have risen slightly.
- Cool and Store: Transfer pies to wire rack to cool. Store at room temperature for up to two days or refrigerated up to one week. Rewarm pies at 300°F until warm but not hot before serving.
- Freeze Unbaked Pies (Optional): Freeze unbaked pies in a single layer on baking sheet for 24 hours, then store in freezer bag for up to 2 months. To bake, preheat oven, remove pies from freezer, brush with egg wash, sprinkle sugar, and bake until golden brown.
Notes
- This recipe is adapted from Bake from Scratch magazine.
- Use cold butter and ice water to ensure flaky pie crust.
- If vanilla bean is not available, vanilla extract can be substituted but roasting flavor will differ.
- Leftover vanilla bean pods can be placed in sugar to infuse vanilla flavor.
- The dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 2 months before baking.
- Freeze unbaked hand pies for convenient make-ahead dessert.
- Adjust sugar in filling to taste depending on strawberry sweetness.
- Reheat pies gently in the oven to retain crisp crust.
- Use a sharp paring knife to carefully split vanilla bean for optimal flavor extraction.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pie
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
