Makes 16
Savory hand pies — stuffed pastries that you can fit in your hand — are a unique and very portable appetizer ideal for a holiday gathering. Here, the pastry rounds are filled with leeks and Gruyere cheese, and baked until crispy and flaky. You can spread the prep out over a few days. Make the food processor dough, shape it into two disks, and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The creamy filling can also be made and refrigerated a day in advance. When it’s time to roll the dough, rest it on the counter for 30 to 60 minutes, or until it is pliable but still slightly chilled. Then roll, stamp, fill, seal, and bake. The pies are best the day they’re made, but baked pastries can be stored in the refrigerator and warmed gently in a 300-degree oven just before serving.
PASTRY
| 3 | cups flour |
| Pinch of salt | |
| ¾ | teaspoon baking powder |
| 1 | teaspoon sugar |
| 1 | cup (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces |
| 2 | teaspoons distilled white vinegar or cider vinegar |
| ⅓ | cup ice water |
| Extra flour (for sprinkling) |
1. In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Pulse to blend them. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and holds together when squeezed in your hands.
2. In a bowl, mix the vinegar and ice water. Sprinkle the liquids over the flour mixture. Pulse a few times until the mixture forms large clumps. It shouldn’t come together to form a ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured counter. Knead lightly just until the dough comes together. Divide in half and shape each piece into a flat disk. Wrap in foil and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
FILLING
| 1 | tablespoon olive oil |
| 2 | large leeks, thinly sliced (to make 3 cups) |
| Salt, to taste | |
| 1 | clove garlic, finely chopped |
| 2 | teaspoons chopped fresh thyme |
| 1 | tablespoon butter |
| 1 | tablespoon flour |
| 2 | tablespoons white wine |
| ¼ | cup heavy cream |
| ¼ | cup cream cheese |
| 8 | ounces Gruyere, shredded (2 cups) |
| 2 | tablespoons whole-grain mustard |
| Pinch ground nutmeg | |
| 1 | egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water (for the glaze) |
| Coarse sea salt (for sprinkling) |
1. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Have on hand a 3 1/2-inch cutter and a 3 3/4-inch cutter.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the leeks and a generous sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring often, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the leeks are tender and turning translucent.
3. Add the garlic and thyme. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the butter. When it melts, stir in the flour. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Pour in the heavy cream, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the mixture thickens.
4. Add the cream cheese and Gruyere to the pan. Lower the heat, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the cheeses melt. Stir in the mustard and nutmeg. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.
5. On a lightly floured counter, roll a disk of dough into a very large circle about 1/8-inch thick. Use the cutters to stamp out 16 smaller rounds (3 1/2 inches) and 16 larger rounds (3 3/4 inches). Reroll the scraps as needed.
6. Place the 3 1/2-inch rounds on the baking sheets, several inches apart. Top each round with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the leek mixture.
7. With a pastry brush, gently brush beaten egg around the filling on the bottom circles. Cut 4 small vents in the larger rounds. Top each hand pie with a larger round, sealing them tightly with your fingers along the egg-washed edge. Press the tines of a fork into the outer edges to seal them.
8. Refrigerate the pies for 20 minutes. Set the oven at 400 degrees.
9. Brush the tops of the pies with egg and sprinkle with sea salt. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, turning the baking sheets from back to front halfway through baking, or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble out of the vents. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Karoline Boehm Goodnick
Makes 16
Savory hand pies — stuffed pastries that you can fit in your hand — are a unique and very portable appetizer ideal for a holiday gathering. Here, the pastry rounds are filled with leeks and Gruyere cheese, and baked until crispy and flaky. You can spread the prep out over a few days. Make the food processor dough, shape it into two disks, and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The creamy filling can also be made and refrigerated a day in advance. When it’s time to roll the dough, rest it on the counter for 30 to 60 minutes, or until it is pliable but still slightly chilled. Then roll, stamp, fill, seal, and bake. The pies are best the day they’re made, but baked pastries can be stored in the refrigerator and warmed gently in a 300-degree oven just before serving.
PASTRY
| 3 | cups flour |
| Pinch of salt | |
| ¾ | teaspoon baking powder |
| 1 | teaspoon sugar |
| 1 | cup (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces |
| 2 | teaspoons distilled white vinegar or cider vinegar |
| ⅓ | cup ice water |
| Extra flour (for sprinkling) |
1. In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Pulse to blend them. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and holds together when squeezed in your hands.
2. In a bowl, mix the vinegar and ice water. Sprinkle the liquids over the flour mixture. Pulse a few times until the mixture forms large clumps. It shouldn’t come together to form a ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured counter. Knead lightly just until the dough comes together. Divide in half and shape each piece into a flat disk. Wrap in foil and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
FILLING
| 1 | tablespoon olive oil |
| 2 | large leeks, thinly sliced (to make 3 cups) |
| Salt, to taste | |
| 1 | clove garlic, finely chopped |
| 2 | teaspoons chopped fresh thyme |
| 1 | tablespoon butter |
| 1 | tablespoon flour |
| 2 | tablespoons white wine |
| ¼ | cup heavy cream |
| ¼ | cup cream cheese |
| 8 | ounces Gruyere, shredded (2 cups) |
| 2 | tablespoons whole-grain mustard |
| Pinch ground nutmeg | |
| 1 | egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water (for the glaze) |
| Coarse sea salt (for sprinkling) |
1. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Have on hand a 3 1/2-inch cutter and a 3 3/4-inch cutter.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the leeks and a generous sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring often, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the leeks are tender and turning translucent.
3. Add the garlic and thyme. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the butter. When it melts, stir in the flour. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Pour in the heavy cream, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the mixture thickens.
4. Add the cream cheese and Gruyere to the pan. Lower the heat, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the cheeses melt. Stir in the mustard and nutmeg. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.
5. On a lightly floured counter, roll a disk of dough into a very large circle about 1/8-inch thick. Use the cutters to stamp out 16 smaller rounds (3 1/2 inches) and 16 larger rounds (3 3/4 inches). Reroll the scraps as needed.
6. Place the 3 1/2-inch rounds on the baking sheets, several inches apart. Top each round with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the leek mixture.
7. With a pastry brush, gently brush beaten egg around the filling on the bottom circles. Cut 4 small vents in the larger rounds. Top each hand pie with a larger round, sealing them tightly with your fingers along the egg-washed edge. Press the tines of a fork into the outer edges to seal them.
8. Refrigerate the pies for 20 minutes. Set the oven at 400 degrees.
9. Brush the tops of the pies with egg and sprinkle with sea salt. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, turning the baking sheets from back to front halfway through baking, or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble out of the vents. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Collected by Cookingtom
Original Article
I’m Brian Danny Max, a chef and a writer at cookingtom.com. I’m here to talk about food and cooking, and to share some of my favorite recipes with you all! I’ve been interested in food and cooking since I was a child. My parents are both great cooks, and they taught me a lot about the kitchen. I’ve been cooking professionally for about 10 years now, and I’ve loved every minute of it! I specialize in healthy, flavorful recipes that are easy to make at home. I believe that anyone can cook a delicious meal, no matter their skill level. I’m here to help you learn how to cook, and to show you that it’s not as difficult as you might think! I hope you’ll check out my blog and my recipes, and I look forward to hearing from you!