Strawberry-Rhubarb Hand Pies
Adapted from Bay Area Bites and King Arthur Flour
~from Savoring Time in the Kitchen
Yield – 8 hand pies
Pastry
2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup cold sour cream
To make the dough: Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the butter, working it in to make a coarse/crumbly mixture. Leave most of the butter in large, pea-sized pieces.
Stir in the sour cream; the dough won't be cohesive. Turn it out onto a floured work surface, and bring it together with a few quick kneads.
Pat the dough into a rough log, and roll it into an 8" x 10" rectangle. Dust both sides of the dough with flour, and starting with a shorter end, fold it in three like a business letter. Flip the dough over, give it a 90° turn on your work surface, and roll it again into an 8" x 10" rectangle. Fold it in three again.
Wrap the dough, and chill for at least 30 minutes before using.
Filling:
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 cups rhubarb, washed, trimmed and cut into ½ inch pieces (about 3-4 stalks of rhubarb)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon cornstarch
For Finishing:
1 large egg (whisked with 1 Tablespoon of cold water)
3 tablespoons coarse sugar
In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, honey and cornstarch and stir to mix well. Place over medium heat and cook until thickened and bubbly, stirring frequently, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and chill along with dough until ready to use.
To assemble and bake:
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Roll the chilled dough into a 14″ x 14″ square, and cut it into 16 squares, about 3 1/2″ each. Cut the centers out of eight of the pieces (I used the tip of a small funnel).
Place generous tablespoons of filling on the remaining 8 squares. Spread the filling out a bit, but leave a good 1/2″ border for sealing the pies. Brush the border with some of the egg wash – or use your finger to spread it around the edge. Place the cut out square over the top and press around the border. Use a fork to crimp and seal.
Brush the top of each pie with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar.
Bake for about 12-15 minutes – depending on your oven – start checking after 10 minutes. Remove with the pies are golden brown on top.