Five Spice Hand Pies Food

BEEF & POTATO HAND PIES (CORNISH PASTIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment.
• Roll out pie crusts and use a 8-9" tart pan or other pan, inverted, to cut the dough into 4 large circles. You may have to reform and roll the dough between cuttings to get all four circles. Lay 2 dough circles on each parchment lined baking sheet.
• Pile about 1 1/2 cups of the meat and potato mixture (with juices) onto one half of each dough circle. Spread evenly over that half of the dough circle, leaving about 1/2" rim around the edge for crimping. Sprinkle some sea salt and pepper over the meat and potato mixture.
• Use a pastry brush to brush the 1/2" rim of pastry with some of the beaten egg - this will serve as "glue" to seal the pastry edges.
• Gently fold the "blank" side of each dough circle over the meat and potato filling side, matching the edges of the pastry to create a half-circle shaped hand pie. Use your finger to press and seal the edges of the pastry together, fluting them for decoration if desired.
• Once each hand pie is formed, use a very sharp knife to lightly score the top of each pie.
• Use a pastry brush to cover the surface of each hand pie with beaten egg.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until crusts are golden and firm to the touch.

FIVE-SPICE HAND PIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In 8-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add apple, sugar, five-spice powder and 1 tablespoon water. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples are crisp-tender. Remove from heat. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Unroll pie crusts; roll each crust into 12-inch round. Using 3-inch round cutter, cut 10 rounds from each crust, rerolling dough if necessary. Place 10 rounds 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Spoon about 2 teaspoons apple filling in center of each of 10 rounds. Using 3/4- to 1-inch letter- or word-shaped cookie cutters, cut out desired message on 10 remaining rounds; place on top of apple filling. Place cutout letters slightly below letters on pie crust to shadow cutouts on pies. Using fork, press edges firmly to seal. Brush tops of pies with egg wash.
• Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

SPICED APPLE & BLACKBERRY HAND PIES

Steps:

• Put the apples and golden caster sugar in a saucepan with 2 tbsp water and cook, covered, for 6 mins or until the apples are soft, stirring once or twice. Tip the mixture into a shallow dish and spread out to cool slightly, then tip in the blackberries and stir. In a separate bowl, mix the cornflour with the honey and cinnamon, then stir it into the fruit mixture.
• Unroll the pastry sheets and, using a 10cm round cutter, cut out 12 circles. Spoon the fruit filling onto half of the pastry circles, leaving a border of about 1cm around the edge. Brush the beaten egg around the edges and place a plain pastry disc on top to encase the filling, then make a little dent in the top and bottom to form an apple shape. Seal the edges all the way around using the prongs of a fork, then brush with egg. Use the pastry off-cuts to cut out little leaf shapes and stalks, then stick them on with beaten egg. Poke a steam hole in the top with a skewer. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling. Arrange the pies on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and chill for at least 30 mins, or up to 24 hrs. Can be frozen unbaked for up to 2 months.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bake the pies for 20 mins, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling through the hole. If cooking from frozen, bake for an extra 5 mins. Sprinkle with the sugar, then leave to cool for at least 20 mins before serving with custard.

FIVE-SPICE APPLE PIE

Steps:

• For Crust:
• Mix first 3 ingredients in large bowl. Add shortening; cut in using pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces. Mix in enough ice water by tablespoonfuls to form moist clumps. Gather dough. Divide into 2 pieces, 1 slightly larger than the other. Flatten each into disk. Wrap each disk in plastic; chill at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)
• For Filling:
• Toss apples and lemon juice in large bowl. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add apples and brown sugar; cook until apples are just tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Using slotted spoon, return apples to same bowl. Boil juices in pot until thick, about 15 minutes. Pour juices over apples; cool completely. Mix in flour and five-spice powder.
• Position rack in lowest third of oven; preheat to 375°F. Place baking sheet on rack. Roll out larger dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch glass pie dish; trim overhang to 1 inch, if necessary. Spoon filling into crust. Roll out smaller dough disk to 10-inch round. Drape over filling. Press top and bottom edges of dough together; crimp decoratively. Cut small hole in center of crust. Brush crust with cream. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
• Place pie on baking sheet in oven; bake until crust is golden brown and filling bubbles thickly, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.