Heart Shaped Strawberry Hand Pies
Heart-shaped strawberry hand pies are flaky, sweet, and filled with fresh strawberry filling. A fun and easy treat for any occasion!
Servings: 8
Calories: 278kcal
Equipment
- Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper
- Baking pan
- Mini Heart Fondant Press optional
Ingredients
Strawberry Filling
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, diced from 12-16 ounces whole strawberries, see notes for using frozen
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup sugar
- pinch salt
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Hand Pies
- pie crust double batch, homemade or storebought
- flour for rolling
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp water
- coarse sugar optional
Instructions
Strawberry Filling
- In a medium to large size saucepan mix all ingredients until the strawberries are coated.
- Place over medium to medium high heat, and stirring constantly bring the mixture to a boil (this will activate the cornstarch thickener). It should turn from a light and opaque pink to a translucent red. Do not boil for longer than 60 seconds.
- Once the mixture boils, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 5-8 minutes until the mixture has thickened and the strawberries are soft. If desired you can break apart the strawberries further with a fork.
- After it’s thickened and the strawberries have broken down a bit, remove from heat and let cool completely before making the hand pies. This can be made up to two days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Hand Pies
- Make the egg wash by whisking together the egg and water. Set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie crust until about 1/8-1/4 inch thick.
- Use a 3.5 to 4-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out an even number of hearts. Re-roll the scraps to cut out more hearts until all the dough has been used. If using a mini heart press to allow the steam to release, cut it out on half of the hearts now, using it right in the center. If using a knife to make an X to allow steam to escape, you can do it after assembling.
- Place half of the heart-shaped dough pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, keeping them at least 2 inches apart.
- Add 1 heaping tablespoon of the strawberry filling to the center of each heart, leaving a border around the edges.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the edges with egg wash to help seal the pies. Top with the remaining pie dough hearts and press the edges with a fork to seal. If you didn’t already cut hearts to allow steam to escape, use a small knife to cut a tiny slit or two on the top center of each pie.
- Lightly brush the egg wash all over the tops of the assembled hand pies. If desired, sprinkle coarse sugar over the tops.
- Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack in a 350℉ preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, until the edges are golden and the strawberry filling starts to bubble.
- Once done, remove from oven, and let cool on the baking tray. Repeat baking with remaining hand pies. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Notes
-
- If using frozen berries to make your filling, there is no need to defrost and slice them. Just cook from frozen, and gently mash with a fork while simmering (you might need to cook a bit longer).
- I used the smallest one of this mini heart press to make heart shapes to allow steam to escape, but you can also use a knife to cut slits on the top of the assembled pies instead.
- Don’t overfill the hand pies. A tablespoon or so of filling is perfect, any more and it can burst the hand pie or leak out of the pie.
- While hearts-shaped pies are adorable, you can also make circle hand pies, or use a knife to make squares or rectangles (no cookie cutters needed!).
- The egg wash and extra course sugar is optional but adds a nice golden color and fun crunch to the pies.
- Make this even easier using store-bought pie crust and strawberry jam! Just use the assembly and baking method outlined above.
- This recipe makes 8-12 hand pies, and will vary depending on the recipe or brand of pie crust, and size of the cookie cutters used.
- These hand pies can be stored at room temperature for up to two days or frozen up to two months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1pie | Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 183mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 37IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
