Strawberry Hand Pies Glaze

The bakery down the street from my first apartment used to make these strawberry hand pies every Friday morning, and I'd time my walk just right to catch them warm from the oven. Something about holding a pie in your hand feels wonderfully forbidden, like dessert shouldn't be this portable and convenient. I spent three years trying to reverse-engineer that flaky, buttery crust in my tiny kitchen.

My sister called me once at 11 PM, desperate because she'd promised to bring something to her office bake sale the next morning and had completely forgotten. We made these together over FaceTime, her flour-covered kitchen mirroring mine, and she texted me later that they sold out in ten minutes flat. Now she calls them her rescue pies.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: The protein structure here is crucial for that flaky layers effect we are after
• Unsalted butter: Keep it absolutely freezing cold and work quickly to maintain those pea-sized butter chunks
• Ice water: The temperature shock between cold butter and hot oven creates those beautiful steam pockets
• Fresh strawberries: Frozen will make the dough too soggy, so really do use fresh when they are in season
• Cornstarch: This is what keeps the filling from turning into a runaway jam situation in the oven
• Powdered sugar: Sift it first or you will end up with tiny white lumps in your otherwise perfect glaze

Instructions

Make the pastry dough:

Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl, then work in that cold butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Drizzle in ice water a tablespoon at a time, gently tossing with your hands just until the dough holds together when squeezed.

Let it rest:

Divide the dough in half and form each into a flat disk, wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator, though I've accidentally left them overnight with no real harm done.

Cook the strawberry filling:

Combine the diced strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 5 to 7 minutes until it bubbles and thickens beautifully. Spread the filling on a plate and let it cool completely, otherwise it will melt your pastry dough.

Roll out the dough:

Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll each chilled dough disk on a floured surface until it is about 1/8 inch thick, then cut out rounds using a 4 to 5 inch cutter or bowl.

Assemble the hand pies:

Place about 2 tablespoons of the cooled strawberry filling in the center of half your dough rounds, brush the edges with a little water, and top with another round. Press the edges together firmly and crimp with a fork to seal them tight.

Bake until golden:

Brush the tops with the egg wash mixture, cut small steam vents in each pie, and bake for 22 to 25 minutes until they are a gorgeous golden brown. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.

Add the vanilla glaze:

Whisk together the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and drizzling consistency. Drizzle generously over each cooled pie and let the glaze set for about 15 minutes.

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My daughter's school requested something homemade for their spring festival, and I showed up with two dozen of these still slightly warm. Another mom asked for the recipe three different times throughout the morning, and now I get text messages from her every time strawberry season rolls around.

Making These Ahead

You can assemble the entire hand pies and freeze them raw on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag. Bake them frozen, adding about 5 extra minutes to the baking time, and they will taste just as fresh as the day you made them.

Fruit Variations

Raspberries work beautifully here and need even less sugar because they are naturally more tart. Peaches are incredible in late summer, just reduce the cornstarch slightly since they do not release as much liquid as strawberries.

Storage and Serving

Store these at room temperature for up to one day, or refrigerate in an airtight container for two to three days. The glaze will soften the pastry if wrapped too tightly, so I recommend covering them loosely or glazing just before serving.

• Reheat cold pies in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes to recrisp the crust
• The glaze can be made thicker by adding more powdered sugar
• These freeze well after glazing for up to one month

Save Pin

There is something deeply satisfying about food you can hold in your hands while it is still slightly warm, the vanilla scent mixing with fresh strawberries. Hope these become your go-to rescue recipe too.