Strawberry Chocolate Hand Pies are a beautiful summer dessert that’s not hard to make and guaranteed to impress!
Are you afraid of making pie crust? I know I was. For years. A perfectly made pie crust is a real thing of beauty. But a badly made pie crust? Ugh. Just ugh.
For ages, I was afraid to even try making my own pie crust. “Why should I make one,” I reasoned, “when there are perfectly good pie crusts available in the freezer section of the grocery store?” Well let me tell you friends – perfectly good is nice and all, but homemade pie crust? It’s perfection.
And here’s the best part. Once you make a pie crust once or twice, you’ll be an old pro at it and you’ll feel totally confident making them all the time. Then you’ll be making the most gorgeous pastries – like these beautiful and ohmygosh delicious hand pies.
There are two keys to making a great homemade pie crust:
1) Keep your fat and liquids very cold.
2) Don’t overwork the dough.
Really. It’s that simple. If you want a step-by-step pictorial guide, I’ve written one up for you right here. If you’ve never tried making your own pie crust yet, today’s the day to change that. Get in your kitchen and make some dough!
PS – I’ve also got a lattice tutorial for you here, along with an awesome cherry pie recipe!
- 2 cups flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, frozen
- 4 to 6 tablespoons ice water
- 16 ounces frozen strawberries
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
- ¾ cup sugar
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 4 ounces chocolate hazelnut spread (such as Nutella or Delinut)
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- Sugar, for sprinkling
- Prepare the crust. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse for a couple of seconds to combine. Cut margarine or butter into small cubes, and sprinkle over the flour mixture in the food processor. Pulse in short on/off bursts until the margarine is partially incorporated. There should be crumbs of varying sizes.
- Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture. Pulse for a couple of seconds at a time, until a crumbly dough is formed. You want the dough to just come together when you pinch it. Start with 4 tablespoons, and add more, as needed. Do not overwork the dough. Place the dough in a bag in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
- Prepare the filling. Chop strawberries into small pieces. (If using frozen, it’s easiest to do this when the berries are still frozen solid.) Place strawberries in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add lemon juice, water, sugar, and cornstarch. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let the mixture simmer, stirring every couple of minutes, for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the mixture thickens and the strawberries are somewhat dissolved. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool completely.
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to about ⅛-inch thickness. Cut out circles using a 3-inch cookie cutter. Place a spoonful of the chocolate spread in the center of each circle, leaving a little of space to seal it. Place about a teaspoon of the strawberry filling in the center, then fold the pie in half, pressing the edges well to seal.
- Place the pie on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Cut slits on the top of each mini pie. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the outsides are light golden brown.
Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by! Come back soon – I’m going to be sharing your new favorite supper recipe! -Miriam
Yum, I am going to have to try this. I made mini pies for a Christmas present one year for my family. Big hit! Have you tried this recipe gluten free? If so please let me know your tricks/tips.
You had me at strawberry and chocolate! These look so fun and delicious! I’m going to have to try them.
They taste as good as they look
I am so inspired to try hand pies too. Although I am very lazy and would end up using store brought puff pastry 🙂
YES! I am so afraid to make pie dough…I just always left it up to my Grandma! 🙂
But, I am coming around to the idea with your adorable little hand pies. Cute food always wins me over! Pinned!
They’re absolutely amazing, thanks for posting!
Yum!
Oh I have some strawberries still in the fridge, just enough to make these pies 🙂
I am making these now and have followed the recipe to a T. It being my first time making pie dough, this may be why I am having issues however now that they are in the oven, there is a hot buttery pile of mess and the dough is essentially flat and has no substance to it. Why did I do wrong? The filling itself is delicious so I am sad these aren’t working out
Sounds like the dough was overmixed.