Katie's Strawberry Hand Pies

Inspiration:
Fresh strawberries from our CSA and Katie's famous recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 stick (1/2 c.) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 in pieces
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 3-4 Tbsp cold buttermilk (whole milk with a dash of fresh lemon juice can be subbed)
• 1.5 c. fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
  
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  
• powdered sugar for dusting
  
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  
• Turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Instructions:

1. In small bowl, combine vanilla and buttermilk, stir to combine and set aside.
2. In large bowl, add flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest and whisk to combine.
3. Use pastry cutter or two knives to cut butter into flour mixture until resembles course meal or just until all pieces are less than pea-sized.
4. Add buttermilk mixture and stir in until dough comes together.
5. Transfer dough to powdered sugar-dusted work surface and shape into flat disk.
6. Wrap disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour.
7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment.
   
8. In medium bowl, combine strawberries, granulated sugar and lemon juice and set aside.
   
9. Turn dough out onto a powdered sugar-dusted work surface and cut pie dough in half (rewrap other half and place back in fridge to stay cold).
   
10. Roll one half of pie dough out about 1/8 in thickness. Using round pastry cutter (or trace knife around small plate), cut out about 5-6 inch rounds.
    
11. Place round onto baking sheet and place about 2-3 Tbsp strawberry mixture into center.
    
12. Using pastry brush dipped in a small amount of egg, brush the edge of half of the round.
    
13. Fold dry edge onto egg brushed half, forming semicircle shape, and press edges together to seal with the tines of a fork.
    
14. Brush the top of the pie with egg mixture and sprinkle with sugar.
    
15. Use a small knife to make a 1 inch slit in the top of the pie for steam to escape.
    
16. Repeat with remaining pastry dough.
    
17. Place in oven and bake until tops are beginning to turn golden brown, about 20 minutes.
    
18. Let cool on sheets for 7-10 mins and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Katie's Recipe Notes:
"A distant, better looking cousin of the turnover, the hand pie houses it's own portion of delicious fruit filling and top and bottom crust all in handy compact size. Perfect for sharing. Perfect for casual entertaining.

You can also make the dough in the bowl of a food processor, just be careful not to over process (30 secs should be enough to bring it together.) Pie dough may be made ahead and frozen for up to 2 months if wrapped well."

My Notes: I halved Katie's recipe, and I got four from the half recipe. Katie, you've made another winner! This is my first time making pastry dough, and I had no idea what I was doing, so they aren't pretty, but they taste awesome!

Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10