Strawberry Picnic Hand Pies

# Ingredient List:

→ Pie Dough

01 - 2.5 cups all-purpose flour

02 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

03 - 1 teaspoon salt

04 - 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

05 - 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

→ Strawberry Filling

06 - 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and diced

07 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar

08 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch

09 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice

10 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

11 - Pinch of salt

→ Assembly

12 - 1 large egg, beaten for egg wash

13 - 1 tablespoon coarse sugar for sprinkling

# Steps:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and cut in using a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing just until dough holds together. Divide dough in half, shape into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

02 - In a medium bowl, combine diced strawberries with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt. Toss gently to coat. Allow to macerate for 10 minutes.

03 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one dough disk to approximately 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out 8 rectangles or circles measuring about 3 by 4 inches. Place on prepared baking sheet. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of strawberry filling onto the center of each piece, leaving a half-inch border. Roll out the second dough disk and cut matching shapes. For lattice tops, slice each piece into 6 thin strips and weave into a lattice pattern. Place lattices over filled bottoms, trimming edges as needed. Press edges to seal and crimp with a fork. Brush tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

04 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown with bubbly filling visible at edges. Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

# Tips from the Pros:

01 -

They're portable enough to toss in a picnic basket but fancy enough to impress people who think you spent all day baking.
The lattice top looks intimidating until you realize it's just two sets of strips crossing each other, and then you feel like a pastry chef.
Fresh strawberries with a hint of lemon and vanilla taste so much brighter than anything overly sweet or heavy.
These pies cool fast, so you're not waiting around hungry before you can eat one.

02 -

Cornstarch is non-negotiable if you want the filling to stay thick and jammy instead of turning into a puddle that makes your lattice soggy.
Your butter needs to be cold and cut into distinct pieces—if you let it soften or blend too much into the flour, you'll lose the flakiness that makes these special.
Don't skip the 10-minute maceration; that's when the strawberries release their juices and the flavors marry together into something better than the sum of their parts.

03 -