Pineapple Hand Pies Recipe

<ul class="ingredients-main-list"><li class="ingredients-single-item">For the pastry dough:</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">250g all-purpose flour</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1 tbsp granulated sugar</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">½ tsp salt</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">170g cold unsalted butter, cubed</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">60-75ml ice-cold water</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1 tbsp apple cider vinegar</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">For the filling:</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">400g fresh pineapple, finely diced (or canned pineapple chunks, drained well)</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">75g granulated sugar</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">2 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour)</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1 tbsp lemon juice</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">¼ tsp ground cinnamon</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">Pinch of salt</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">For assembly:</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">2 tbsp coarse sugar for sprinkling</li></ul>

<ul class="equipment-main-list"><li class="equipment-single-item">Food processor (optional for pastry)</li><li class="equipment-single-item">10cm (4-inch) round cookie cutter or glass</li><li class="equipment-single-item">Pastry brush</li><li class="equipment-single-item">Baking sheets</li><li class="equipment-single-item">Parchment paper</li></ul>

<ol class="no-list-style"><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 1</h4>Prepare the pastry dough by combining the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl or food processor. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse or use a pastry cutter to work it in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. These butter pockets will create steam during baking, resulting in flaky layers.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 2</h4>Mix the ice-cold water with apple cider vinegar (the acidity helps inhibit gluten development for a more tender crust). Drizzle this mixture over the flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, gently mixing until the dough just comes together. You may not need all the liquid – stop when the dough holds together when pressed.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 3</h4>Divide the dough in half, shape each portion into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. This resting period allows the gluten to relax and the butter to firm up, ensuring a flakier texture.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 4</h4>While the dough chills, prepare your filling. Combine the diced pineapple, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 8-10 minutes until the mixture thickens substantially and no longer looks cloudy. The cornstarch needs to reach boiling point to fully activate its thickening properties.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 5</h4>Transfer the filling to a bowl and allow it to cool completely. The filling must be cool before assembly to prevent it from melting the dough and creating steam that would make your pastry soggy.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 6</h4>Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with one disk of dough at a time (keeping the other refrigerated), roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm (⅛-inch) thickness. Use steady, even pressure and rotate the dough frequently to prevent sticking.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 7</h4>Using your round cutter, cut out as many circles as possible. Re-roll scraps once to cut additional circles. You should get approximately 16 circles total from both portions of dough to make 8 hand pies.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 8</h4>Place half of the circles on your prepared baking sheets, spaced about 5cm apart. Add about 1-2 tablespoons of the cooled pineapple filling to the center of each circle, leaving a 1cm border around the edges. Be careful not to overfill, as this can cause the filling to leak during baking.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 9</h4>Brush the border of each filled circle with the egg wash, which will act as glue. Place the remaining dough circles on top of each filled circle and gently press the edges to seal. Use a fork to crimp the edges decoratively and securely. The tines create indentations that help fuse the dough layers together.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 10</h4>Cut a small vent in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape during baking, preventing the filling from bursting through the seams. Brush the tops with egg wash for a golden finish and sprinkle with coarse sugar for a delightful crunch and sparkle.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 11</h4>Return the assembled pies to the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up before baking. This final chill helps maintain their shape and creates that sought-after flakiness as the cold butter hits the hot oven.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 12</h4>Bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes, or until the pies are deeply golden brown. The extended baking ensures the bottom crust is fully cooked and not soggy. If the tops are browning too quickly, loosely cover with aluminum foil.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 13</h4>Allow the hand pies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The filling will be extremely hot straight from the oven and needs time to set up. Enjoy warm or at room temperature, when the contrast between flaky pastry and sweet-tart filling is at its peak!</li></ol>