What, you did’t skip an afternoon of life to stay home avoiding all the things that need to be done to watch the snow gently fall with the twinkle lights on, Sufjan Stevens Christmas playing and make little hand pies? Well shit, maybe that is exactly what you should do because I got to tell you, it was probably one of the best afternoons I have had in a while.
And don’t get at me about the Christmas music. Sufjan Stevens Christmas is one of the things I look forward to the most about this time of year. If you know, you know. If you don’t know, then stop what you are doing and go listen to it. Trust.
These little hand held pies are perfect for the upcoming holiday season, but anytime really. Crispy flaky pie crust filled with spiced sweet potato the is creamy and custard like then topped with a nice chocolate drizzle. All packed nicely into a square that you can eat without plate or fork plus they pack up so nicely (they make great gifts) and are just really freaking amazing. I made a batch and basically the mr and Barb fought over who was going to eat them all because they were just that good. And the mr isn’t even a sweet potato fan. (When will he realize he likes all food?)
Anyway, Take a couple hours and listen to Sufjan Stevens, watch it snow (if you can get it to do that), and make these hand pie, It will make you happy.
Now to the hand pies!
The stuff. For the dough you need flour, salt, brown sugar, ice water, and a stick of frozen vegan butter. (I use country crock vegan butter and it is AMAZING for pie crust). For filling it is baked sweet potatoes, cinnamon, ground ginger and nutmeg, and maple syrup. Also need chocolate chips and a little coconut oil for a nice chocolate drizzle.
Make dough. Whisk together the dry and grate the butter into it. Toss around with a fork and drizzle in ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until dough looks a little shaggy but can kind of smoosh together into a dough. Dump the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and gather together into a tight disk. Wrap completely and place into fridge to rest for about an hour. Also can be made a day or two in advance.
Filling. Just scoop baked sweet potatoes into a bowl, add in the spices and maple, and blend (use a hand blender or normal blender) until mixed and smooth. You could actually just mix it with a fork too if you want, just won’t be as smooth.
Once dough has chilled, place on a lightly flour surface and roll into a large rectangle roughly 12x14 inches.
Cut down the center then each side into 4 rectangle pieces.
Scoop filling onto each piece, fold in half and crimp the edges closed with a fork. Poke the tops so they don’t explode, and place on a baking sheet. Once they are all filled and on the beige sheet, pop them into the fridge for about 15 minutes and preheat oven to 350.
Once oven is hot, into the oven they go. Bake for about and hour, give or take a minute or 5.
Now would you look at that. Golden brown and damn near perfection. Get them off baking sheet and onto a metal rack to cool.
While they are cooling, make up a little chocolate drizzle situation. Chocolate chips and coconut oil. Just pop into microwave (or do it on a stove) for 30 second increments until mostly melted. Stir around until smooth and drizzle able.
Then drizzle, all over. Make it nice!
That is it. You now have hand pies and you now eat one.
Happy Holidays!
-C
Sweet Potato Hand Pies
makes 8 hand pies
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3-1/2 cup ice water
1 stick or 8 tablespoons vegan butter, FROZEN (country crock vegan butter works amazing, but so does earth balance)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 cups sweet potato puree (Around 2 large baked sweet potatoes)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
pinch of nutmeg
1/3 cup chocolate chip
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Start by making dough. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Take the frown stick of butter and grate it into bowl. (Frozen grates so much better). Mix gently with a fork while drizzling in ice water until the dough starts to look shaggy. Grab a clump and smoosh it together. If it completely crumbles, add a little more water until it can smoosh into a dough. Dump it out onto a piece of plastic warp and pulling up the sides, gather it into a tight disk. IF it is still really crumbly, toss in another tablespoon of water. Wrap the dogs tightly and smoosh it into a rectangle and then place in fridge for about an hour. Can also be made a few days in advance.
For filling. Blend together sweet potato puree, the spices, and the maple syrup until smooth.
To assemble. Roll out chilled pie dough into a rectangle around 12x14 inches. Cut the half the long way down then cut each side into 4 equal sized rectangles. Take the filling and place about 2 tablespoons onto the end, leaving a little lip, of each rectangle. Fold in half and with a fork, feel the edges. Poke the tops with fork. Place the assembled pies on a baking sheet and pop the sheet into the fridge for 15ish minutes.
Preheat oven to 350.
After the fridge and when the oven is hot, pop the pie into the oven. Bake for about 60 minutes or until the crusts are golden brown and bottoms are a nice dark(not burnt) brown.
Remove from oven and place pies on wire rack to cool.
For chocolate drizzle just place the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl with the coconut oil. Heat for about a minutes or so until the chips start to melt and then mix together until it is smooth and drizzlable. Now drizzle the chocolate all over cooling pies.
And that is it. You can let the pies cool completely and the chocolate will set so it won’t smear, but you can also jus start eating them.
Pies are good for 4-5 days left on counter but really, they will not last that long.
350 for 60 minutes