Ingredients:

  • For Dough
  • 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup finely ground California walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon cane sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 4-5 tablespoons ice cold water
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • For Strawberry Walnut Filling
  • 1 cup California strawberries, tops removed/halved
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons cane sugar
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped California walnuts
  • For Frosting
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons 2% milk
  • ½ teaspoon beetroot powder (optional for color)
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts

Preparation:

Make the Dough:

  1. Add flour, ground walnuts, sugar, and salt to a food processor and pulse to combine.
  2. Add cubed butter and pulse until butter is in small pieces. Add cold water to food processor one tablespoon at a time, pulsing as water is added. When dough starts to stick together, it is ready.
  3. Transfer dough onto a clean work surface and shape into two (4-inch) disks. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Make the Filling:

  1. Add halved strawberries and lemon juice to food processor and pulse until just slightly chunky.
  2. Transfer to a saucepan and gradually whisk in corn-starch until dissolved. Stir in sugar.
  3. Heat over low heat until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Turn heat off and stir in chopped walnuts. 7. Transfer mixture to a small jar or bowl and refrigerate.

Assemble Hand Pies:

  1. Remove one disc of dough from refrigerator. Lightly flour work surface and rolling pin. Roll out dough into a large rectangle. Slice dough into 6 (4×2 inch) rectangles. Place on a large parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  2. Brush perimeter of dough rectangles with egg wash. Place a tablespoon of strawberry walnut filling on center of dough.
  3. Roll out second disc of dough the same as the first, creating 6 more rectangles of dough. Place on top of jam and crimp edges with a fork to seal. Freeze hand pies for 20 minutes to firm butter in the dough.
  4. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
  5. Trim uneven edges of dough with a sharp knife and brush tops and sides of pies with egg wash.
  6. Bake for 20-24 minutes, until golden brown around edges. Cool hand pies at room temperature for 5 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to a wire cooling rack until completely cooled.
  7. Whisk together ingredients for frosting until thick but smooth. Drizzle frosting over cooked hand pies and top with finely chopped walnuts. Cool for 15 minutes or until frosting is set.