Pies are not my forté, that is for sure. But once I relaxed a little bit and realized it’s just a pie, they became a little easier for me. So I guess pies are like life, just relax a little bit, it’ll all be okay (and pumpkin is ‘healthy’ right?). Happy Thanksgiving, by the way!
I’m an all-butter crust fan, I highly dislike shortening, in anything. Those pie-shells from the freezer never work for me either, they crack and cause me more frustration than just making the darn dough on my own. But, I’ve included frozen pie shells in this recipe, for you, in case you are a non-pie-maker like me and because I’m nice like that.
Why are you going to make these? Because they are:
- easy (if I can make a pie (hand pie that is) so can you!
- great for snacking
freezeable ,breezable and portable- fun to make with the kids
If you want to make your own pie dough, by all means, do it. Here’s a pretty great recipe from NYTimes (until I get my own up, sorry for the delay!). If you have a food processor (affiliate link), it’s a breeze. Give it a try, and remember, relax.
How to impress your hosts, make some homemade treats
These are portable, and make-aheadable!
- Rosemary Oat Crackers, they travel well
- Almond Crackers, like 3 ingredients!
- Granola, for when you just can’t handle another bit of egg-bake
Or make these!
Print
Pumpkin Hand Pies
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 pies 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These pumpkin hand pies are perfect for an afterschool snack or fancy them up and bring to Thanksgiving dinner. They freeze beautifully, so making them ahead is a breeze.
Ingredients
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not sweetened or spiced)
1 large egg
1 large egg white (save the yolk for the tops)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon un-sulphured molasses
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (affiliate link)
4 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
1 egg yolk + 2 teaspoons of water
1–2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (use regular sugar in place of turbinado)
Frozen pie dough disks (two 9″ pie crusts). Or use your own homemade pie crust (always the preference)
Instructions
In a bowl, mix the pumpkin, egg, egg white, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Mix well to combine. Place a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the pumpkin mixture to the pan. Bring to a simmer, and cook until the mixture thickens a bit, stirring often with a heat-proof spatula or flat-edge spoon. About 6-7 minutes. Let it sit for about 4 minutes to cool a little bit.
While the mixture is simmering, place the cream cheese in the same pumpkin bowl, spread it out a bit so when the warm pumpkin mixture hits it, it has a chance to soften it a bit more. Pour the warm pumpkin mixture over the cream cheese and whisk well, until completely combined. Place the mixture in the refrigerator to cool completely.
For best results and ease of use, place the mixture in the freezer for about an hour to firm up, it will be easier to work with.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll the pie sheets to 1/8″ thick. Using a 4″ round cutter, cut out 8 round disks and place on a parchment lined, rimmed baking sheet (affiliate link). Using a brush, paint the edge with water to act as glue for the top. Place about 2 tablespoons chilled pumpkin mixture on each disk, lay the top disk on filling and crimp all around with a fork. Repeat with other sheet of dough.
Brush tops with egg wash (whisk egg yolk and water) and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
Cool completely before serving.
Notes
Special equipment:
- Parchment paper (affiliate link)
- Rolling pin
- Rimmed baking sheet (affiliate link)(s)
- 4″ cookie cutter (or a tuna can!, very well washed of course)
It’s not clear but do you thaw the frozen pie crust?
Hi there, yes! You thaw the frozen pie crust in the fridge overnight.
Happy baking!