Hand pies are such an ingenious way to create an individual pie without the problems of serving and the opportunity of various fillings. These freeze and travel well.
In my aunt’s kitchen, hand pies came with left-over pie dough and the filling from the original pie or perhaps with cooked-down peaches, raspberries or blackberries from her garden, plus a little sugar and flour. That was it. Oh, so good.
I have been making a monthly luncheon for the members of the Scotts Valley Senior Center for the last year, and while I was in Wild Roots Market in Felton, I saw the display of the most fragrant and totally red strawberries and immediately thought how those strawberries would taste in a hand pie for the Soup, Salad and Let’s Talk luncheon at the Senior Center on June 14.
Today, I finished 75 strawberry, blueberry and raspberry hand pies for that lunch, and another hundred for the ribbon-cutting ceremony announcing the Damians Ladder nonprofit joining the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce.
“Mom,” my kids ask, “why, at your age, do you take on so much?” My answer is simple. I must keep my mind active and my body moving.
I have grown so much since my Hubby passed, not that I wanted to, but to survive, I had to, and I so want him to know where I am today. Because of his love and support, I have become a different person.
There were the years before, where I had to become the “Captain of our Ship”—I carried in the bags of groceries, drug out the garbage cans to the curb, plunged the stopped-up toilet, replaced the filter in the fridge, slept in the other bedroom in order that I didn’t disturb him when he finally was able to fall asleep.
We no longer traveled, and when we did it was only by automobile, I drove. I drove those 300 miles south to where friends lived and drove back home again, hating every moment of that six-hour drive. But if we were to see our old and true friends, well, I would have to drive.
And then there were the doctor visits—local, Stanford, University of San Francisco, one after another.
I tell you this, not to feel sorry for me, but how I have determined to become productive and happy once again and that happiness began in helping others less fortunate than me, and cooking for others in my kitchen.
My kitchen is small, but as I explain often, at my age, I don’t have to move very far—within two or three steps, I can reach west to north and east to south. Spare me please, a larger kitchen.
I have, in my small kitchen, been experimenting with biscuit and pie dough, the latter of which I have discovered cannot be beaten! This recipe that follows can also be used for a quiche crust, a single or a double crust pie, a fruit or savory tart, or the hand pies.
I only use White Lily flour in my baking; however, any all-purpose flour will suffice. Once you feel the texture of White Lily flour, you will understand its lightness and how that texture adds to the rising of your cakes and biscuits. I order White Lily all-purpose and White Lily self-rising online. It is also available at Walmart.
Fruit season will soon be here, and now is the time to make the delicious fillings for both pies and hand pies. The fillings below freeze well to be used later.
If you are a maker of fruit jams, these jams can also be used as a filling for the hand pie recipe below.
Keep in mind; by omitting the sugar in the dough recipe, this dough can be the base for a savory hand pie.
Use your imagination, summer picnic time is approaching. I see hand pies in your future.
Hand Pie Dough
(Makes 15)
2 Cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups very cold butter cut into ½ in cubes.
3/4 cups sour cream
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp salt
Add flour, sugar and salt to food processor and pulse until butter resembles peas.
Add sour cream and pulse until mixture comes together
Dump mixture onto a lightly floured board and press together.
Wrap in saran wrap and chill 3 hours or overnight.
Strawberry Filling
6 cups diced Strawberries
1/3 cup granulated sugar or more to taste
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. butter
Heat strawberries and lemon zest to high simmer.
Mix sugar with cornstarch and add to strawberries.
Cook until thickened. Add butter.
Turn off the heat and refrigerate.
Procedure
Bring dough to a little colder than room temperature.
Roll dough into a 15 in. round and using a 5 in. cutter, cut 7-8 rounds.
Put 1 Tbsp. filling in the center of a round and wet half of the edge of the round with water.
Fold dough over to create a half-circle. Pinch the edges together.
Using a sharp knife, make three slits on top of each Pie. Brush tops with beaten egg.
Bake in a preheated 375deg. oven for 22 min. or until nicely browned.
Colly Gruczelak, a Ben Lomond resident, loves people and loves to cook. Contact her at [email protected].
