One of my favorite parts of the month of June is that strawberries are finally and truly in season here in the land of 10,000 lakes. (Of course my favoritest part of June is my Love Bug and her birthday.) We buy strawberries year round when the price is right because I just can’t stand not having them. However, nothing compares to the taste and sweetness of the berries when they are eaten at the right time.
These hand pies are just what their name says – mini pies that fit right in your hand. Flaky, buttery crusts enclose a delicious strawberry filling. The aroma of the filling is almost perfume like. I think the mix would probably make a lovely topping for ice cream, too.
The dough comes together very crumbly. There is barely enough liquid (but lots of butter) to moisten all the dry ingredients so I used my hands to get it combined. When it comes to rolling out the mini pies, a ruler comes in handy to get the measurements just right. The top layer needs venting and while any design works, I thought a heart was perfect for my batch. The strawberry filling peeked out the vents making a lovely red heart. I included both the cup and ounce amount below. I always feel more ‘professional’ when I use my scale to measure ingredients. Silly, I know. :)
They are delicious and a wonderful way to enjoy the beautiful red berries.
Recipe from King Arthur Flour
Ingredients
- 2 cups (8.5oz) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp) cold butter, cut into pats
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp (1oz) milk
- 8 ounces fresh or frozen strawberries, quartered
- 2 Tbsp (7/8oz) sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp instant Clear Jel*
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 large egg, beaten; for brushing dough
Instructions
- Combine the flour, sugar, salt and whisk together.
- With a pastry cutter, work in the butter until pecan-sized lumps form.
- Combine the egg and milk and add to the other mixture.
- Mix to make a cohesive dough.
- Divide the dough in half, shaping each half into a 3"x5" rectangle. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
- Add all the ingredients, except the egg, in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook until the mix begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
- On a lightly floured surface, place one half of the refrigerated dough and roll it into a 9"x12" rectangle. Trim any edges to make the rectangle straight.
- Cut out nine 3"x4" rectangles.
- Place those nine on a greased or parchment covered baking sheet.
- Repeat the rolling and cutting with the other half of the pastry dough. Cut a vent into these nine rectangles.
- Divide the filling among the nine rectangles on the baking sheet.
- Top the filled rectangles with the vented rectangles.
- Using the tines of a fork or a crimper, press along the edges to seal.
- Brush the tops with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar, if desired.
- Bake at 350F for 25-33 minutes, until the pies are lightly golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan.
- Brush some beaten egg along the edges.
Notes
*Possible substitutes for Clear Jel - pectin, flour, cornstarch
Take care.
Yum!!! I would like to try this with cherries!!!
How fun! I have a ton of strawberries to use up too!