Fried Strawberry Hand Pies
With strawberry season in full swing, it's time to make these portable little strawberry hand pies. Eat them on the go or enjoy them with a scoop of ice cream!
Servings: 12
Ingredients
Pie Dough:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (360 g)
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (30 g)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, (113 g) cut into small cubes, cold
- ½ cup vegetable shortening*
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 6 Tablespoons ice water
Strawberry Filling:
- 2 ½ cups fresh strawberries (454 g/1 pound) hulled, large slices
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- pinch kosher salt
Additions:
- sifted confectioners' sugar, for dusting
- ice cream, to serve
Instructions
Pie Dough:
- In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add cubed butter and shortening. Cover and let chill in the freezer for about 5-8 minutes until ingredient are cold.
- Using a pastry blender (or two forks), cut cold butter and shortening into flour mixture until it resembles coarse, pebbled sand. Add vinegar and ice water. Fold to combine until dough is a shaggy mess.
- Dump dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until mixture comes together. Pat dough to a thickness of about ½-inch. Wrap in plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours (overnight is best).
Strawberry Filling:
- In a small sauce pot, combine strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch. Set over medium heat and bring to a boi. Stir often to prevent mixture from burning along the sides. Boil for 10-15 seconds to cook out cornstarch flavor.
- Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and salt. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer to an airtight container and keep chilled in the fridge until ready to use.
Assembly and Cooking:
- Allow dough to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. Roll dough out ¼-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out as many 4 ½-inch rounds. Gather, knead, and re-roll the dough to cut out additional rounds.
- Place one tablespoon of chilled filling in the center of each dough round. Fold dough over to make a semi-circle (half-moon shape). Secure the edges with the tines of a fork.
- Place assembled hand pies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes while frying oil heats up.
- Fill a large pot (dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot works best) with 3-inches of vegetable oil or vegetable shortening. Use a candy thermometer to measure the temperature. Heat oil to 365°F.
- Carefully place 3-4 hand pies at a time into hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden in color.
- Drain fried hand pies on wire rack or paper towel lined baking sheet. Keep an eye on candy thermometer and adjust heat according to maintain a constant cooking temperature.
- Strawberry hand pies can be served warm or at room temperature. Dust hand pies with sifted powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- I use this organic vegetable shortening.
- These hand pies are better served the same day as frying.
- Frying in shortening results in a crispier exterior. The hand pie will feel less greasy than oil-fried.
- Use a candy thermometer to maintain proper cooking temperature.
- There will be leftover strawberry filling. Use as dipping sauce or spoon over ice cream. Keeps covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.