Jammy Fruit Hand Pies

Although I adore cookies, my favorite dessert has to be pie. I love just about any kind, as long as the filling is fresh and flavorful and the crust is buttery-rich and supremely flaky. Of course, the season is ripe right now for fruit pies, and one irresistible way to serve them is to scale them down to a small size—what could be better than having a miniature pie all to yourself; no need for sharing? Individual pies known as hand pies are usually made in a half-moon shape, but it’s easy to come up with something a little more creative using cookie cutters.

This week’s recipe combines a buttery pastry dough called pâte brisée with the easiest of fillings: fruit jam. It may seem anti-summer to use preserves rather than fresh fruit, but there’s a good reason: fresh fruit would make for a juicy, soggy mess, and part of the idea with little pies is that you shouldn’t need a plate, fork, or even a napkin when eating them. Jam stays put, as long as you seal the pies well, and when it cools, you’ve got a neat, delicious, and portable treat. In fact, you can make these year-round—their fresh, fruity taste will remind you of summer.

Enjoy!

Ann
Ann Clark, Ltd.

Jammy Fruit Hand Pies
Makes about 8

 
You will need up to 1 cup of jam for this recipe. Any flavor will work, as long as it is fairly thick and doesn’t contain large lumps. If using strawberry jam, you may want to pulse it a couple of times in a food processor to break down large pieces.

Place in food processor and pulse a few times to blend:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt

Scatter on top:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 16 pieces

Pulse until mixture is crumbly, with some butter pieces the size of peas, about 12 pulses.

Whisk together:
2 large egg yolks (save the whites)
3 tablespoons water

Pour over flour mixture and pulse until mixture just comes together, about 8 pulses. Turn out onto counter in a mound and smear dough with heel of hand once or twice to flatten any large lumps of butter, then form dough into square block. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours. While dough is chilling, whisk reserved egg whites in small bowl until frothy.

Preheat oven to 350º. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Divide dough in half and roll one half out on lightly floured counter to 1/8 inch thick. Cut with your favorite Ann Clark cookie cutters, being careful to place them close together to minimize waste. Repeat with second half of dough. (Scraps can be laid on top of one another, pressed together gently, and rolled out one time so more shapes can be cut. Don’t re-use more than once, or dough will become tough.) Place half of shapes on prepared baking sheet, brush with beaten egg whites, and place 1 generous tablespoon jam on each shape, spreading carefully and leaving a 1/3-inch border of plain dough around the edges. Top with remaining dough shapes and press edges firmly with fingertips to seal. Poke several holes in each top crust. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until puffy and golden brown. Let cool at least 15 minutes, glaze if desired, and serve.

Glaze
Whisk 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar with 3 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons milk until smooth. Add more milk if necessary for a just-pourable consistency. Tint with food coloring if desired and drizzle over pies.

My favorite shapes for hand pies include the Ice Cream Cone cookie cutter, the Ladybug cookie cutter, and the Turtle cookie cutter.