Hand Pies for Easter
Have you ever had a fried pie? My grandma would make them all the time. She would fry up a batch every few weeks because everyone in the family would ask for them. I loved the sound they made when she dropped them in the hot oil. I didn’t get to watch them because fry because she was afraid I would get burned. Little did she know I burned my tongue because I couldn’t wait for them to cool before I ate them. I don’t hear that much about fried pies anymore because now hand pies are all the rage. I have to admit, they are just as good as the fried pies. All you have to do is make the dough, assemble them, and place them in the oven. Piece of cake! Well actually, a piece of delicious pie you can hold in your hand.
Another good thing about them is you can make them in cute shapes for the holidays. This bunny for example is a great dessert for Easter. They travel well and everyone will hop over to see what you made.
Supplies for Hand Pies:
2 cups of all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar 2 sticks (8 ounces) of butter Up to a 1/2 cup of ice water Pie filling of your choice Egg White Sugar for sprinkling before you bake Bunny Cookie cutter Small heart cookie cutter Piping tip with a small hole or toothpick
Ingredients
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar
- 2 sticks 8 ounces of cold butter
- Up to a 1/2 cup of ice water
- 1 Egg
- Sugar for sprinkling onto of the pie before baking
- Bunny Cutter
Instructions
- Place flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse until mixed well.
- Add the cold butter and pulse until the butter is in pieces a little smaller than peas.
- Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time until the dough sticks together. You may want to open the food processor and test a little piece to make sure it sticks together.
- Divide dough into 2 pieces and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.
- Roll out dough to desired thickness and cut out bunny shapes with a bunny cookie cutter.
- Add filling of your choice to half of the bunnies.
- Cut a heart shaped nose and 2 eyes for ventilation in the remaining bunnies.
- Add a small amount of egg white to the edge of the bunny with the filling.
- Place bunny face on top of the one with the filling and pinch sides together with a fork.
- Brush the bunny pie with egg white mixture and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake at 350 degree until golden brown about 20-25 minutes.
Recipe adapted from Martha Sewarts Pate Brisee (Pie Dough) recipe. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Once you have made your dough and cut out the bunny shapes, you are ready to assemble your pies.
When baking pies, you need to cut a few holes for ventilation. Bunny hand pies need a face and a heart and two eyes make the perfect ventilation for this size pie. Use a small heart shape cookie cutter for the nose and a piping tip or a toothpick for the eyes. If you use a toothpick, place it in the eye area and move it in circle motion until you get the size circle you want. Next, add the filing to the bunny without the face. Be careful not to add too much or you will have a hard time sealing it without making a huge mess.
Add a little egg white to the edges of the bunny with the filling. Place the bunny face on top and crimp with a fork all the way around the bunny. You can use the side of the fork to seal in between the ears since the wide edge of the fork won’t fit. The egg white will act as a glue and help seal the dough together.
Once the bunnies are sealed, place on a baking sheet and brush with the tops with egg white. Sprinkle with sugar and bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
These are great served warm with vanilla ice cream or you can pick it up and eat it with your hand. Hence the “hand pie!”
If you are looking for more Easter treats, check out the links below. Roll Out Carrot Cake Cookies Simple Bunny Cookies Easter Egg Brownies 3D Easter Bunny Cookies
Bear hugs,
Oh, these are just the cutest little hand pies ever! I mean, you really can’t go wrong with pie in to-go form, but add those adorable bunnies and I am sold forever and ever. So perfect for spring 🙂
Lisa, These are so cute! What a great idea, to make hand pies into shapes for the holiday. PIE always wins in any dessert challenge, to me! Happy Easter!
This is such a great idea. Thanks for sharing…I can’t wait to try it out.
I love using cutters for things behind the standard sugar cookie. Plus, these guys are suuuuper cute! 🙂
EverytimeI receive a notice you’ve posted an entry I can feel a big smile forming on my lips. These are so darn cute and clever. As hectic is this Easter will be for us this year, I think I’ll “borrow” your idea but cheat and substitute ready made pie dough (shhhh… don’t snitch on me!) Hubby made the mistake of bragging up my first batch of Macarons so now I have to bring some along with the ham, potato salad, etc…
Those bunnies have personality … love the heart noses! Pinned!
I’ve never made a hand pie – I have trouble making pies! Maybe this could be just what I need to get me started with pies again! Super duper cute!
These are so adorable! I’ve never made hand pies, either, but I love this idea. Your bunnies are so cute — especially with their little heart-shaped mouths. And glad to know that there is no frying involved — hooray!
Super cute! I know my girls would love these!
Lisa,
Lisa, how many hand pies do you get out of one batch of dough?
Hi Robin,
The bunny cutter I used was about 5 1/2″ tall and 3 1/2″ wide. You need 2 pieces for each hand pie. I made 4 bunnies that size and 2 smaller ones. You can always make smaller ones and get more.
OMG!
How cute are these? Love!!