These flaky and fruity pies are the perfect summer treat to enjoy. Crafted by Lizzy, a food editor at Real Simple magazine and a trained chef, this recipe for strawberry hand pies is both simple and delightful. Using basic ingredients like frozen berries, homemade jam is created, enhancing the pastry’s buttery texture with a sweet-tart balance. Using freeze-dried strawberries, the icing gains a vibrant color naturally, without any food dye. To keep the fruit fresh, use the processed dried fruit right away to avoid moisture absorption.
If you need a quick option, leap to rolling the puff pastry and fill it with your store-bought berry jam of choice. To prepare the pastries, start by preheating your oven to 375°F and lining baking sheets with parchment paper. Cook the berries with sugar, lemon juice, and salt until they become mostly broken down, thickening the mixture with a cornstarch slurry. Let this cool down in the fridge. After rolling and cutting out pastry rectangles, fill them with a spoonful of the jam, seal the edges using egg wash, and bake until golden. Finally, prepare the icing by blending freeze-dried strawberries and mixing them with confectioners’ sugar and milk, then drizzle over the cooled pastries, garnished with extra strawberry crumbs.
Whether for a bake sale or a sweet snack at home, these pastries promise a delightful bite each time.
