This dough is a pleasure to work with. It comes together beautifully and is so forgiving that if it breaks or cracks, you can simply press it back together. It is also great for making crostatas or free-form tarts.
Ingredients
makes eight 4- to 5-inch hand pies
Preparation
Step 1
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to mix.
Step 2
Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or two knives in a crosscutting motion until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Work quickly so the butter remains cool and doesn’t melt into the flour.
Step 3
Combine the egg yolk and the 3 tablespoons ice water and stir to mix. Add to the flour mixture and stir with a fork just until the dough clumps together and is just moist enough to pat together. Do not mix any more than necessary. If the dough is dry and crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together; do not add so much water that the dough becomes wet or sticky.
Step 4
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and, with lightly floured hands, form into a ball. Divide the dough in half and form each piece into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or for up to 3 days, before proceeding with the recipe.
SARA’S SWAPS
Step 5
Give these pies an extra kick of spice by stirring 2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger into the sweet potato filling along with the other spices. You can also make these hand pies with different fillings, like baked pumpkin, butternut squash, apples, or peaches.
