This post is sponsored by Domino® Golden Sugar. All opinions are honest and 100% my own.
It’s that time of year again! Warmer and longer days filled with sunshine. Before winter can completely let itself go, there’s still that perfect nip in the air. In the afternoons after the rain, if you listen closely, you can hear life wriggling through the soil and tiny feet splashing in fresh puddles.
Easter is just around the corner and I have the perfect recipe for everyone—strawberry cardamom hand pies! As strawberries come into season, I can’t help but to include them in all my baking projects! And pie dough is one of my all time favorite things to experiment with in the kitchen! These hand pies are fun, beautiful, and definite crowd (and taste bud) pleasers! Forget the chocolates, your kids will be begging for more hand pies this year!
Strawberries are always winners on their own, but add in a couple key ingredients to add a more complex and aromatic flavor profile, and your taste buds will really thank you! Cardamom is such a unique and wonderful spice that I love adding to my baked goods and ICE CREAM! But it’s got quite a kick to it, so use it sparingly! It’s spicy, citrusy, sweet, and even minty all at the same time! One of my faves! If you know you’re not a big fan of this spice, or don’t already have it at home, feel free to leave it out. These will still be amazing without it!
Domino® Golden Sugar is another key ingredient here! Because this is a less processed cane sugar, it holds a beautiful golden color and offers a gorgeous complex flavor to whatever recipe you add it to! It can be used cup-for-cup like white sugar! It has a perfect hint of molasses flavor that I just love! Sprinkling it on top of the pie crust here before baking also gives it that perfect rustic pie texture in every bite!
Hand pie design-wise, you can definitely go as simplistic or as decorative as you want. I like a mix of simple and fun lattice designs on mine! Together with Domino® Golden Sugar, let’s go through step by step how to make these fab spring treats!
The most crucial part about this recipe is the pie dough. Pie dough is one of the easiest and satisfying things to make! It’s so easy but there are a few important rules you must follow to ensure you end up with the best flakey and tender crusts! Keep all your ingredients COLD. Don’t be tempted to add too much water. Do not knead the dough too much. Let the dough rest in the fridge overnight. That’s it. So let’s dive in!
INGREDIENTS:
For pie dough
2 ½ c (315g) unbleached all purpose flour
1 tbs Domino® Golden Sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very cold, cubed
8-9 tb (about ½ c) ice water
For filling
2 ½ c fresh or frozen strawberries, cubed
2 tb unsalted butter, melted
1/3 c Domino® Golden Sugar
½ tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tb cornstarch or all purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
egg wash + topping
1 egg
1 tb milk
1/3 c Domino® Golden Sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Make the pie dough.
I usually make this a day before I need it.
In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar, and very cold butter. Lightly toss everything around with your hands to coat the butter with flour. Then, start flattening and breaking up the pieces of butter in your hands, between your thumbs and forefingers. You want to end up with some bigger flat pieces of butter, and other smaller varied pea sized pieces. work quickly because you want everything to stay cold. The mixture should resemble course meal.
Add the ice water a couple tablespoons at a time. Toss around lightly with a spoon to hydrate the flour and fully combine. Dough should hold together when squeezed but not be overly wet or sticky. You can knead the dough to bring everything together but DO NOT over-knead it or your crust will be tough. Push dough into a single clump, divide into two equal pieces. Form a disc with each piece and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Store in the fridge right away for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight.
prepare the filling.
Clean and remove the leaves from strawberries. Rough cube them. In a large bowl, combine all the filling ingredients and mix together to thoroughly coat all strawberries. Set aside in the fridge.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Use a tray that will fit easily into your fridge. Set to the side.
roll out pie dough.
Heavily flour your work surface and rolling pin. Take one disc of dough out of the fridge. Dust a little flour on top of the disc and start gently flattening it into a circle with the rolling pin, picking the dough up and turning (rotate) it on the surface every couple rolls to make sure it’s not sticking. When disc is slightly flattened, start gently rolling it out until it’s about 1/8 inch thick.
Cut out circles with a 4 inch circle cookie cutter. Place cut outs onto parchment paper lined baking tray. Bring together the scrap and re-roll and cut again. If scraps became too soft and sticky, form into a tight ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge.
Place tray of cut circles to chill in the fridge. Repeat roll and cut with second disc of dough.
assemble.
Take out the first tray of now chilled dough cut outs. With a small shape cookie cutter such as a heart or a star, cut out the centers of half of the circles. Alternatively, you can just cut lines as vent holes. Working quickly, place about 2 tablespoons of filling onto the other half of the circles. Place tops on and seal all the way around with the prongs of a small fork.
Place entire tray of assembled pies into the fridge for 15 minutes. *you can also take a little more time and create lattice or other pie designs for your hand pies.
preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Brush hand pies with egg wash and sprinkle with Domino® Golden Sugar. Bake for 28-30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Repeat with second tray.
Serve warm with ice cream and ENJOY!
