I didn't think I was going to have time to do anything heart shaped this Valentines Day as my days have been so busy, but I did have a chance today to do these little Lemon & Berry Hand Pies for my Todd. He does love a jam tart and he really enjoyed these!
You can buy your pastry ready rolled, or you can make your own like I did. My recipe is here and it's a good one. You will want to double it. You simply roll the pastry out and then cut out 3 inch wide hearts. You will need sixteen of them.
They are filled with a dab of lemon curd and a dab of strawberry jam. Use good ones, or if you have homemade, even better . . . use them! Don't be tempted to overfill these . . . a scant teaspoon of each will do . . . otherwise you will have blow outs . . .
You are bound to have a certain amount of those anyways, no matter how well you think you have sealed them shut. Not over-filling them however does minimize this hazard. A simple vanilla icing decorates the tops and of course if it is a special occasion you can use sprinkles on top. Simple. Delicious. Easy to make. Your family will love them.
* Simple Lemon and Berry Hand Pies*Makes 8Printable Recipe
Delicious little pies filled with strawberry jam and lemon curd and iced with a simple vanilla frosting. Simple to make.
Short crust pastry enough for a double crust pie8 tsp good quality lemon curd8 tsp good quality strawberry jamFor the frosting:130g of icing sugar, sifted (1 cup)1 tsp softened buttermilkfew drops vanilla extractsprinkles to decorate (optional)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 5. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment.
Roll out your pastry 1/4 inch thick. Stamp out 16 3-inch wide hearts with a sharp cutter. Place 8 of them on the baking tray Brush the edges with some water. Top each with 1 tsp of the lemon curd and then 1 tsp of the strawberry jam. Top with the remaining pastry hearts. Crimp the edges closed and seal with a fork.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Scoop off onto a wire rack to cool completely before proceeding.
Whisk together the icing sugar, butter, vanilla and enough milk to give you a creamy icing perfect for spreading. Spread this on top of the hand pies and sprinkle with sprinkles if using before the icing sets.
Happy Valentines Day! Bon Appetit!