Description
These heart-shaped hand pies filled with sweet strawberry and ruby orange filling are the perfect treat for Valentine’s Day! With a flaky, golden crust and a tangy-sweet filling, these hand pies are a delicious handheld dessert to share with someone special.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup ice water (more if needed)
For the Filling:
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced
- 1/2 cup ruby orange juice (about 2 ruby oranges)
- Zest of 1 ruby orange
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
For the Egg Wash:
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp sugar (optional, for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Make the Pie Crust: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter. Slowly add ice water, a tablespoon at a time, and mix until the dough begins to come together. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, form it into a disk, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Make the Filling: In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries, ruby orange juice, orange zest, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and the strawberries break down (about 5-7 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
- Prepare the Hand Pies: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter (or any desired shape) to cut out hearts from the dough.
- Assemble the Hand Pies: Place a spoonful of the strawberry-ruby orange filling in the center of half of the hearts, leaving a small border around the edges. Top each filled heart with another dough heart, pressing down around the edges to seal. Use a fork to crimp the edges to ensure they stay closed while baking.
- Egg Wash: Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make the egg wash. Brush the tops of the hand pies with the egg wash and sprinkle with a little sugar for extra sweetness and shine.
- Bake: Bake the hand pies in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
- Serve: Serve the heart-shaped hand pies warm or at room temperature. Enjoy with a cup of tea or as a sweet treat for your Valentine!
Notes
- You can make the dough and filling ahead of time and store them separately in the fridge to save time on the day you plan to bake.
- If you can’t find ruby oranges, you can substitute with regular oranges or blood oranges for a similar flavor.
- For an extra special touch, drizzle the hand pies with a simple glaze made of powdered sugar and milk after they’ve cooled.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 hand pie
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 75mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg