Strawberry Ginger Hand Pies

The next few weeks will consist of me buying strawberries at the market and proceeding to make any and every kind of strawberry based pie/hand pie/galette possible.  These strawberries are far too delicious and the season too short to pass that up.

I decided to whip up some hand pies again as they’re perfect for parties.  People can literally eat a pie out of the palm of their hand with basically no mess.  They’re also so fun and satisfying to make, it’s the ultimate pie therapy.

In terms of flavour profile, I love the fresh, spicy zing that ginger adds to the sweetness of strawberries, which is important to the pie not being overly sweet.  Another great trick is to use any leftover liquid from the filling in drinks!  I added it to perrier and a bit of gin, but any fizzy combo will work (I think prosecco would be ideal!)

If you want a better visual of how to assemble hand pies, check out the video I posted on Instagram a couple of weeks ago!  Happy Baking!

Makes about 14 hand pies, with enough leftover filling to make a galette or ice cream topping!

Crust Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup butter (straight from the fridge, cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup vinegar (I use cider vinegar, mix it in the water)

Filling Ingredients

• 5 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced into eighths (cut the quarters in half)
• 3 tbsp white sugar
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about half a lemon)
• 2 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1/2-2/3 cup packed brown sugar, depending on your preference for sweetness
• Pinch cardamom
• Pinch allspice
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp ground arrowroot
• Egg wash (1 Egg plus 1/2 tsp of water)
• Raw sugar, for sprinkling

Steps

To make the crust, mix together flour, sugar and salt.  Using a pastry blender, “cut” in the butter. This means you’re almost mashing the butter into the flour with the blender, ensuring all butter is covered in flour until the butter pieces are about the size of peas or a bit bigger.

Then, splash in a bit of your water mixture (2-3 tablespoons) and mix it around with your hand.  Continue to add a little at a time and mix and squish with your hand until a large dough ball forms.  If you need to get a bit more binding, add a bit of water to your fingers to help it along.  Don’t feel compelled to use all the water, mix it in until just combined and the dough is holding together.  Cut the dough ball into two halves and flatten into disks. Wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Remove from fridge and let sit for 5-10 minutes so the dough doesn’t crack. Roll out each disk on a floured surface until about 1/4 inch thick (it will be about 12-13 inches in diameter).

Once rolled, use a 3 inch cutter (I used a mason jar lid) to cut dough into small rounds.  I recommend re-rolling scraps once, and using the rest for dough cookies.  Refrigerate cut rounds for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling.  Sprinkle white sugar on top of strawberries and mix gently.  Allow to macerate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and grated ginger.  In a separate bowl, mix together brown sugar, cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, salt and arrowroot.  Sprinkle dry mixture over strawberry mixture and gently toss until incorporated.

To assemble, take a chilled dough round and brush the edge with egg wash (one egg mixed with 1/2 tsp water).  Using a fork (to avoid excess liquid), place about 1 tbsp of filling into the middle of the round.  Take another dough round, place on top and carefully press the edges together until sealed.  Once sealed, you can crimp like a regular pie edge or use a fork to crimp.

Place finished hand pies on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in freezer for 10 minutes to set.  Brush the tops of the pies with egg wash and sprinkle with raw sugar.  Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes.