Description
These strawberry hand pies transform refrigerated pie crust and canned strawberry filling into flaky, heart-shaped mini pies with a clever vampire bite twist. Perfectly golden and ready in under 40 minutes, these delightful treats are ideal for dessert or snack time.
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2 refrigerator pie crusts
Filling
- 1 cup strawberry pie filling
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- Splash of water
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare tray: Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C). Line a sheet tray with foil and spray with cooking spray or cover with parchment paper, then set aside.
- Cut pie crust shapes: On a clean work surface, unroll the two pie crusts. Using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 20 heart shapes evenly from the dough.
- Fill the pies: Evenly divide the strawberry pie filling among the centers of half of the heart cutouts, leaving about a 1/4 inch border around the edges to prevent spillage.
- Seal the pies: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and splash of water to create an egg wash. Dip your fingertip in the egg wash and moisten the edges of the hearts with filling. Place another heart cutout on top, aligning edges, then press down firmly. Seal the edges with a fork and repeat with the remaining pies.
- Create vampire bite and brush: Place the sealed hand pies onto the prepared sheet tray. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut two small triangular shapes near the top center of each pie to create a vampire bite effect. Brush the entire surface of each pie with egg wash, avoiding dipping the brush into the filling to prevent stains.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown and flaky.
- Cool and serve: Remove from the oven and allow pies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Serve these hand pies warm or at room temperature for the best flavor and texture.
- Feel free to experiment with different pie fillings like cherry, apple, or blueberry.
- If you do not have a heart-shaped cutter, a 3-inch round cookie cutter works perfectly as a substitute.
- Hand pies can be frozen before baking; just thaw and bake when ready.
- Homemade pie crust works well if you prefer making your own from scratch.
- For extra crunch and sparkle, sprinkle coarse or decorative sugar on top before baking.
- These pies pair wonderfully with ice cream, whipped cream, or a simple powdered sugar glaze for dipping.
- This recipe can be easily doubled if you want to make more.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
