What’s better than pie? How about a strawberry hand pie, perfect for you and you alone. As if ripe summer strawberries aren’t exciting enough, chef Nicole A. Taylor takes them to the next level in this recipe from her new cookbook, Watermelon & Red Birds, by macerating and infusing them with a bit of fresh ginger, lending warmth to the berry’s floral notes. They get encased in a peppery butter-based crust before getting baked off (not fried, as hand pies often are) to a golden rich hue. The result is a flaky crust with a jammy berry filling, juices oozing from the sides. Salted goat cheese frosting makes a tangy counterpoint to the sweet strawberries. These hand pies make a great snack as is, or turned into a grand treat when thrown into a milkshake with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.
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What you’ll need
Electric Mixer
$40 At Amazon
Rolling Pin
$13 At Amazon
Set of 6 Pastry Rulers
$20 At Kitchen Jukebox
Pastry Brush
$6 At Amazon
Silicone Spatula
$13 At Amazon
Microplane Grater
$18 At Amazon
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls, Set of 6
$39 $36 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 9–10
Ingredients
Dough
2½
2
1½
1
1
Filling
12
2
1
1
1
¼
⅛
Frosting and assembly
1
3
½
¾
2
½
¼
Preparation
Dough
Step 1
Whisk flour, granulated sugar, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or your hands, work in butter until largest pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle ¼ cup ice water over dough and mix and scoop with your hands to incorporate. Continue adding ice water 1–2 Tbsp. at a time (up to 6 Tbsp. more) until dough just begins to adhere and you can gather it into an imperfect ball. Pat dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Chill 30 minutes.
Filling
Step 2
Toss strawberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, ginger, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt in a medium bowl to combine. Let sit 30 minutes.
Frosting and Assembly
Step 3
Unwrap dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a ⅛"-thick round. Using a 5"-diameter cutter or bowl, punch or cut out as many rounds as you can. Reroll scraps and slide onto a parchment-lined baking sheet; chill 10 minutes. Punch out more rounds.
Step 4
Working one at a time, spoon 1 (heaping) Tbsp. strawberry filling on 1 side of each round of dough, avoiding excess liquid at the bottom of the bowl; discard liquid. Fold empty side up and over filling to bring edges together to create a half-moon shape. Crimp edges with a fork to seal. Arrange hand pies on parchment-lined baking sheet and chill until cold and firm, 35–45 minutes.
Step 5
Preheat oven to 400°. Brush tops of hand pies with egg, then prick each one twice with a fork. Bake until golden brown, 35–40 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets.
Step 6
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat goat cheese and butter in a medium bowl, scraping down sides as needed, until smooth, about 2 minutes. With the motor running, add powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in milk, vanilla, and salt. Drizzle some frosting over each pie.
Do ahead: Hand pies can be made 3 days ahead; store airtight at room temperature. Frosting can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.
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Reviews (9)
Back to TopThese turned out great-- one of the best desserts I've made. The crust is lovely and flaky and the ginger in the filling adds a little extra interest. I was in a bit of a rush to get these done, so I only rested the dough in the fridge for maybe 15 minutes. They still turned out wonderfully. I also doubled the recipe, which worked just fine (measuring the flour by weight instead of volume likely helped).
Emily M
Washington, DC
7/17/2022
These taste delicious and got rave reviews. Today is the second time I made them and I thought I had the leaking solved and didn't. They're worse this time. I'm not sure I'll make them again without trying a different method.
Grambakes
Glastonbury, CT
7/2/2022
Made these the day before an event and they were a little softer than I would have liked when it came time to serve, so maybe plan to serve them day-of? Also, I would do larger chunks of strawberry next time as they disintegrated into more of a paste, less of a jam. I did one as a rectangle and that shape was easier to work with, I might suggest others do that rather than have to reroll the dough out too many times to get the circles. Drizzle is tangy and tasty, I think I'll repurpose it for other baked goods!
Abigail
McMinnville, OR
6/3/2022