What Is A Hand Pie?
If you take a peek at Wiktionary, you'll see hand pies defined as: "A semilunar pastry with either a sweet or savory filling, formed by placing a dollop of filling onto a circular piece of biscuit-style dough and then folding it over and crimping it shut. They may be baked, fried or deep-fried. A pasty." That definition is stretched to include any manner of hand pies, pasties, or party pies. They're perfect, easy-grab treats or snacks to serve as appetizers, as part of a party tray, or to take to a potluck.
What Do I Need To Make S'mores Hand Pies?
Let's take a look at some of the ingredients needed to make s'mores party pies, as well as any suitable substitutions that will work.
- Pie Crust: I used the pre-made pie crust that you can find in the refrigerated section of your new local store with grocery shopping online - usually near the cinnamon rolls and cans of crescent dough. Each box comes with two rolled pie crust for a 9" pie, and you'll need both rolls for this recipe. There's usually organic/whole food brands of these premade crusts available if you prefer. You can also use a homemade pie crust recipe as long as it makes enough for a top and bottom crust for a 9" pie.
- Chocolate: For simplicity, I used a Hershey's chocolate bar that's separated into little sections. You'll need 10 sections for this recipe - one per hand pie. You can use any similarly size chocolate that you want. The chocolate will firm up after the hand pies cool. If you want the filling to stay soft, you can use a dollop of Nutella or similar chocolate spread.
- Graham Crackers: I used standard sheets of graham crackers that I broke into 8 pieces per sheet. You could use a Teddy Graham in each pie instead!
- Marshmallows: I used 3 mini marshmallows per pie, as anything more would cause the filling to be too voluminous to fit inside of the pie crust. Similarly, you could use a dollop of marshmallow creme instead.
- Egg Wash: Brushing the pies with a beaten egg lets them get golden and shiny when baked. You can leave this step out if you want and the pies will still taste great. You could also brush them with a little milk or honey instead (be careful with the honey - it will cause the pies to brown up super fast!)
Can I Make These In Advance?
These pies are wonderful when consumed warm straight from oven or at room temperature. If you want to prepare them in advance, go right ahead! Store them in an airtight container at room temperature and they'll be good for several days.
Okay, but can I freeze them?
Freeze the hand pies before they are baked - and before you add the egg wash - for best results. Make sure you get a good seal when pinching the top crust to the bottom, and then place the hand pies on a baking sheet and put the entire thing in the freezer for about 45 minutes to flash freeze them. Then move the pies to a Ziploc-style freezer safe storage bag and store for up to 3 months. Brush the egg wash onto the frozen pies and bake as usual - just add a few minutes to the bake time and keep an eye on them.
Mini S'mores Hand Pies
Cut-out pie crusts filled with chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers. A fun and easy party snack!
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 10 pies 1x
Ingredients
- 2 9-inch refrigerated rolled pie crust doughs (or use homemade), at room temperature
- 2 sheets of graham crackers
- 30 mini marshmallows
- 10 mini chocolate bars or sections of a whole chocolate bar
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
- Unroll the room temperature crusts and place on a cutting board or large sheet of wax paper. Use a 2 ½ inch round cookie cutter to cut out 20 rounds. Make sure to space the cuts very close together so you have enough room. Save or discard the scraps.
- Use the scores on the graham crackers to break into 4 seconds per sheet. Then break the smallest sections in half. You'll end up with 16 pieces (you'll have a few extra).
- Place a piece of graham cracker in the center of each round, top with a mini chocolate bar, and then top with 3 mini marshmallows.
- Place second pie crust round on top of the fillings and press down on the center with your palm gently (you may hear the cracker break - don't worry about it).
- Use a fork or your fingers to pinch and seal around the outside of the mini pies. Place prepared pies onto the baking sheet.
- Use a pastry brush to brush the beaten egg onto each pie. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until the crust is crisp and golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Ingredient Substitutions: You can use a dollop of Nutella and Marshmallow creme for a softer filling when the pies are cooled. Instead of graham cracker pieces, you can use one Teddy Graham cookie per pie.
Pie Crust Scraps: Place them in an airtight storage bag and save in the refrigerator or freezer. Use them later for cutting into decorative shapes to decorate full-size pies.
Egg Wash: If you have egg sensitivities, you can leave out the egg - the pies won't get as golden or shiny.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
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