With so much delicious curd and some pate brisee still begging to be used, I couldn’t help but spend a snowy afternoon making hand pies, shaped in lovely hearts of course. These little pies are extremely versatile, they’re portable, satisfy all guests at potlucks or easy-going cocktail parties, or cold days when you just want to indulge in a single serving, warm flaky pastry. Sweet decadence that dreams are simply made of, well at least mine.
Personal pies are still one of my favorite things to make because you can fill them with just about any flavor you seem to be craving, including one of these combinations. When winter days have us lazily cuddled underneath cozy blankets, these quick and simple hand pies warm our little hearts, in more ways than just sweetness. They taste even better when shared with your loved one over a hot cup of cocoa during a quiet snowfall. 
Cranberry Hand Pies
Ingredients
Fresh Cranberries
1 – Egg
Granulated Sugar
Recipe
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough onto a lightly floured surface to 1/4″ thickness. Cut using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in freezer until firm, but not frozen {about 10 to 15 minutes}. Slide parchment, with cut shapes onto a flat surface, using rolling pin flatten dough shapes slightly, then transfer bottoms, on parchment, back to baking sheet, making sure to evenly space pieces of dough.
Spoon a heaping tablespoon of curd in the center of bottoms, leaving 1/4″ edge, then place a small mound of fresh cranberries atop {about 4 to 5 berries}. Whisk together egg, and brush edge of pie bottoms. Carefully place top dough piece atop filling, press ends and crimp edges with a fork to seal. With your leftover dough scraps, use a small heart-shaped cutter {about 1″} to cut out shapes. Brush back of small heart with egg wash, and place in center of hand pies. Brush entire hand pie with egg wash, and generously sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown {about 20 minutes}. Allow to cool completely.
[…] Throughout the week I’ll be sharing recipes and crafts featured at this shoot, from these personal heart curd pies, to an aphrodisiac infused baked Alaska, a sweet champagne cocktail, to […]