strawberry apple hand pies;
Summer means strawberry season! And what better way to use those fresh, ripe, red strawberries than in these strawberry apple hand pies? With a bright burst of strawberry flavor and the tangy sweet from a granny smith apple, with just a hint of cinnamon, these strawberry apple hand pies are a sure winner.
Eat them for breakfast, or dessert. Eat them straight from the oven, drizzle with chocolate sauce, or serve with fresh whipped cream, there’s really no bad way to eat these. They’re great for a grab and go breakfast, or a nice dessert for a packed lunch. The combination of sweet and tart, especially with fresh fruit, is just unbeatable.
First things first, make sure to thaw your frozen puff pastry sheet. The recipe for strawberry apple hand pies below uses one sheet of puff pastry, but the frozen ones often come with two, so feel free to double the recipe! It will make an even dozen hand pies, and let me tell you, the six I made didn’t last long at all.
Assuming you’re making 6, you want to end up with 6 pairs of puff pastry rectangles. I tend to cut the puff pastry on the folds, since the brand I use usually folds a sheet into thirds. Once you have your thirds, then I cut them in half, then half again. Try your best to make them as even as possible, since you’ll be pressing together two halves. Of course, that rustic look never goes out of style either!
I usually will start my filling, and while it’s cooking down, will cut my puff pastry and get that ready for stuffing full of delicious pie filling. The pie filling is quite simple to make. With just a few ingredients, you can make a delicious and complex flavor. I cut up my granny smith apple with the skin on, since it has extra nutrients and it doesn’t bother me. If you prefer skinless, then feel free to skin your apple before chopping it. This recipe will work with any apple, but I think the granny smith is great option for the tart sweet combo.
One key to this recipe is ripe strawberries. We went strawberry picking and had just so many strawberries! This was a great way to use those ripe and juicy strawberries in a fun way. Nothing beats a fresh strawberry, but we did have a lot so I needed to come up with ways to use them! And I’ll say I succeeded since my partner gave this recipe the ol’ two thumbs up to go in the regular rotation.
secrets to success;
- Use fresh, ripe fruit! Summer is strawberry season, and we found a local Virginia farm where we could pick our own! But with lots of strawberries, comes the need for lots of strawberry recipes! And that’s where these strawberry apple hand pies come in handy.
- The recipe below makes 6 hand pies, but most frozen puff pastry sheets come with 2 sheets of pastry, so feel free to double the recipe to 12! That way you only need to do dishes once, and I promise you, they’ll fly off the table quickly!
- Serve with a drizzle or dip these hand pies in chocolate! You know everything is best with chocolate of course. For a light and refreshing option, try fresh whipped cream as well!
Looking for other summer recipes?
- Summer favorites in our house include these firecracker sugar cookie bars…complete with tiny explosions in your mouth!
- Strawberry crunch ice cream cake is a perfect strawberry summer treat–it tastes just like those good humor bars!
- Or make your own ice cream sandwiches with homemade chocolate crackle cookies and vanilla ice cream.
strawberry apple hand pies;
Ingredients
- 1 granny smith apple
- 10-12 ripe strawberries
- 3 Tbsp water (plus more for sealing the hand pies)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar (can add up to 2 Tbsp more for extra sweetness)
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
- 1 egg scrambled as egg wash (optional)
- ¼ cup turbinado raw sugar (optional, can also substitute regular white sugar)
- chocolate syrup or fresh whipped cream for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Dice the granny smith apple and strawberries into small chunks, roughly ½" or less.
- Add the chopped fruit and 3 Tbsp of water to a small pot, and turn up to medium heat. Allow to simmer 3-5 minutes. You’re looking for it to cook down and become mushy but not burn. If you feel the water evaporates too fast can add another Tbsp of water.
- Add the cinnamon and powdered sugar and simmer another 2-3 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. You want most of the liquid to be evaporated off, but still chunky and wet.
- Cut the puff pastry in thirds (I usually follow the folds for the frozen pilsbury puff pastry). Cut each third in half, then each of those in half again to make 6 pairs of rectangles. They're a little small, but they'll puff up in the oven to a great snacking size.
- Stretch one rectangle slightly (be careful not to tear or rip the puff pastry). Add a heaping spoonful of filling to the center. Slightly stretch the second rectangle. Dip a finger in warm water and run it around the outside edge of the pastry. Top the second rectangle over the filling and pinch together the sides.
- Press the edge with a fork to seal. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado raw sugar (or white sugar) if desired. Lay the hand pie on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Repeat the previous step with the remaining 5 hand pies, arranging them on a baking sheet with enough space between them (at least 2"+)
- Bake for 8-12 minutes at 350° or until brown and puffed. Eat warm or serve with chocolate sauce.
2 Comments
cookies and cream pie; | Best With Chocolate
March 18, 2024 at 10:11 pm
[…] Strawberry apple hand pies are a perfect to-go pie that you can grab for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert! […]
pumpkin spice bread; | Best With Chocolate
April 22, 2024 at 8:15 pm
[…] breakfast pastries, or on-the-go snacking, strawberry apple hand pies combine the fruity flavors of strawberries and apples and wrap them in flaky, buttery […]