Mango Pineapple Hand Pies

Are you a person that likes themes? You know, like middle school crazy hat day, luau birthday party, or Hitchcock movie marathon in October. It's fun, right?

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I've been doing Friday Pie Day every week this month. The end of the week calls for a mini celebration. So, pie it is!

Typically, a pie is round and cut into triangular pieces. Depending on the filling, it can be a messy affair. But smaller hand pies are easier to eat and great for toting to potlucks and picnics at the beach.

But watch out for the Portuguese man o'war.

Man o'War

Natural things that wash up on the shore are called beach wrack. Examples include seaweed, driftwood, and small invertebrates. The occasional fish, crab, or jellyfish will also get left behind by the tide and wind up stranded to bake in the sun.

This summer, there have been scads of Portuguese man o'war in Atlantic waters.

They live in tropical and subtropical oceans and their gas-filled translucent bladders look like discarded plastic baggies on the shoreline. Long tentacles inject venom upon contact, even if they are detached from the main body. If you are stung, vinegar and heat are your friends.

We managed to avoid them on our beach outing while on vacation in Bermuda, but the couple next to us was not as fortunate. After they got stung, we left the beach that day, taking our hand pies with us.

Mango Pineapple Hand Pies or Empanadas?

Hand pies are sometimes called empanadas, pasties, or turnovers. They can be filled with meat, veggies, or fruits. For this recipe, we are using two kinds of fruit: mango and pineapple.

Using canned crushed pineapple saves you the trouble of peeling and chopping, but you can use fresh if you like. I chose to use fresh mango since I had grabbed one at the local market, but frozen will work too. The two flavors together: major tropical vibes!

Lessons Learned

• If the filling is being teenager-ish and not behaving as you want, you can do something about it. To make the filling less runny, combine 1 Tablespoon of cold water with 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch and mix. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the simmering filling and continue to cook until it thickens.
• Both the cooled filling and dough can be refrigerated for up to two days before assembling and baking the hand pies.
• Don't forget to make a steam vent on the tops of the pies! Whether you dock with a fork or cut with a paring knife, make a way for the steam to escape or it will find a way out and usually in an unfortunate place. It's hard to see the holes in these photos, but they are there!

Hat Tips

Like most of the recipes I feature, this one is not my creation. I find, try, and adapt recipes, then share them with you. Thanks go to King Arthur Flour, Sugar Geek Show, and Muy Bueno for their hand pie recipe inspiration!

Mango Pineapple Hand Pies

• Author: Betty
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Chill Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes plus chill time
• Yield: 12 1x

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Filling:

• 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• Juice of 1 lime, about 2 Tbsp
• ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp ground ginger
• ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
• ⅓ cup white or palm sugar
• ½ tsp lime zest

Dough:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup butter
• 1 egg
• 3 Tbsp cold water

Egg Wash:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 Tbsp water

 

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Instructions

1. Combine pineapple, mango, lime juice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, sugar, and zest in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until thickened and jam-like. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. To make the dough, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the dry mixture. Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until the butter is incorporated and pea-sized. 
3. Mix egg and water together and add to the bowl. Stir with a spoon, then use your hand to gently knead the ingredients into a cohesive ball of dough. Split the dough into two pieces, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 F/204 C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
5. Remove one dough packet from the fridge and divide it into 6 equal size balls. Lightly flour a smooth surface and roll dough balls into circles about 5 or 6 inches in diameter. Place 1 heaping Tablespoon of the filling in the center of each circle. Brush the edges of the circle with the egg wash before folding the circle in half to enclose the filling. Press the edges with the tines of a fork to seal them. Repeat with the remaining dough.
6. Using a pastry brush, sweep the tops of each hand pie with the egg wash. Prick the tops with a fork to allow steam to escape. Chill the filled pies in the fridge for 20 minutes.
7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 F or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Allow them to cool entirely before biting into hand pies or the roof of your mouth will be mad. Can be served slightly warm or at room temperature.

 

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Apple Pie with a Little Sumthin Sumthin

Apple pie is a quintessential American dessert. It also happens to be my husband’s favorite pie. He likes a traditional version, not too sweet with a dash of cinnamon, made with Golden Delicious apples.

But I occasionally get middle-aged wild and do something different.

Apple Pie with Cheese

An apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze.

Depending on where you grew up in the United States, you either eat your pie with a side of ice cream (called a la mode) or with a slice of cheddar cheese on top. Mostly folks in the Midwest and New England seem to be in the pie with cheese camp.

Vermont, where apple pie is the official state pie, even has laws regarding how the pie is to be served. The law reads:

When serving apple pie in Vermont, a "good faith" effort shall be made to meet one of more of the following conditions:

(a) with a glass of cold milk,

(b) with a slice of cheddar cheese weighing a minimum of ½ ounce,

(c) with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream.

That is some major dedication to having dairy with your pie.

Cheddar

Buttery white or bright orange, cheddar is among the five most popular kinds of cheese in the U.S. When young, cheddar is mild and slightly nutty. If aged over six months, the cheese progresses to develop tangy and more complex flavors that are perfect with fruit, especially apples.

Best Apples for Apple Pie

Can you use any kind of apple for pie baking? You can, but you might not get the results you want. Some apple varieties are better eaten raw as snacks because they break down to mush when baked.

Apples that hold their shape and their apple-y taste after being cooked are what you are looking for when it comes to the perfect pie.

Using a single variety? Golden Delicious or Braeburn is the way to go. They both retain their shaped when baked and don't descend into applesauce territory.

Using two types? A combination of Granny Smith for tartness and Gala for sweetness produces a good balance of apple flavor and aroma. These varieties also bake well.

Homemade Pie

Yes, making a homemade pie takes time. But we all know the results far outweigh the effort put into it. Plus, you can customize the crust and the filling to your liking.

This next-level apple pie includes browned butter in the filling, adding a slight nuttiness and depth. The crust? Why the cheese is baked right in, thank you.

Lessons Learned

• Don't be afraid of the cheddar. No one is going to mistake this for a quesadilla. The cheese gives the crust some salty notes which complement the sweet filling.
• Take the extra time to chill your pie crust. I know you don't want to. But skipping this step may cause your crust to produce the dreaded soggy bottom. Paul and Prue would not approve.
• Use whatever apples you like, but aim for a combination of tart and sweet varieties.

Hat Tips

Many thanks go to Jenny Park at Spoon Fork Bacon for her recipe!

Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust

• Author: Betty
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Chilling Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 3 hours
• Yield: 8 slices 1x

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Crust:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 cup cold salted butter, frozen and grated
• ¾ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 3 to 5 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

• 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 Gala apples, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
• ⅔ cup light brown sugar
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• ¼ cup browned butter, melted and cooled

Egg Wash:

• 1 egg
• 1 Tablespoon water

 

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Instructions

1. Combine the flour, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Dump in the cheddar cheese and mix with the flour. Sprinkle water evenly over the mixture and gently stir until incorporated.  Gently squeeze a portion of dough to see if it holds together. If you need more water, add it 1 tablespoon at a time.
2. Turn out the dough onto a work surface and divide it in half. Form each half into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge until firm, at least 1 hour.
3. Mix together all the filling ingredients, except for the browned butter. Let the filling sit for 1 hour to macerate. If you haven’t browned the butter yet, you can do this step now by placing the butter in a small saucepan and letting it melt over low heat. Watch the butter so it doesn’t burn and remove it from the heat once it reaches a golden brown color. Set aside and let cool.
4. Roll out one dough disk on a floured surface and place it into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Add the cooled butter into the apple mixture and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the pie shell then refrigerate while you roll out the top crust.
5. Use the remaining dough disk to make the top crust. Roll out in one piece to cover the pie or cut into strips to make a lattice top. Combine the egg and water to make the egg wash, then brush the top crust with it. Refrigerate the pie for 30 minutes before baking.
6. Bake the pie at 400 F/204 C for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 375 F/190 C and bake for 45 minutes more. Let the pie cool completely before slicing.  

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Fruit Dome Cake

Layers of sponge cake, whipped cream, and fruit make up this light and tasty Fruit Dome Cake.

The Igloo You Eat

Have you ever pinned something to a board on Pinterest and forgotten about it? That’s what happened with this cake. I pinned it because it looks so cool, kind of like a fruity igloo.

Then I forgot about it.

But! A friend went to Alaska to view the northern lights and stayed in a glass-domed igloo at a base camp outside Fairbanks. The northern lights, sometimes called aurora borealis, are an atmospheric display of colorful dramatic light waves seen in the night sky.

Seeing the Northern Lights

How does this atmospheric phenomenon occur? Grade school explanation: solar wind particles + earth’s upper atmosphere = aurora borealis. The lights are best seen in winter and usually within a 1,500-mile radius around the North Pole.

Is this on your Pinterest bucket list board? Finland’s Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort is where you can lodge in a glass igloo and watch the northern lights while lying in bed. I certainly have it on mine.

Somehow, my friend’s northern lights trip made me remember the fruit-filled dome cake I had pinned.

Fruit Dome Cake is an OCD Riff on Trifle

Trifle is a layered dessert that usually includes cake pieces, custard, jam, fruit, and whipped cream. The fruit dome cake is really a pared-down version of a trifle with artfully arranged fruit. It is built upside down in a glass bowl that will eventually be flipped after being assembled.

The cake’s pretty pattern of fruit and the snowy white of the whipped cream will almost make you forget about wanting to stay at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. Almost.

Lessons Learned

• Beat the genoise sponge batter long enough for it to nearly triple in volume. The prolonged beating incorporates air into the batter and allows the cake to rise properly. Otherwise, you will have a sad, slunky mess of a cake once it is baked.
• The baked sponge cake has been described as hygroscopic. I didn’t make up this word. It means that this cake will absorb moisture from the air or anywhere else it can get it. Make that moisture flavorful, meaning booze. I chose triple sec.
• You can use any kind of fruit. But not bananas. They will turn brown, even if you toss them in lemon juice, and make your finished creation slightly unlovely. But you’re an adult, so do what you want.

Hat Tips

Many thanks go to Tastemade for their beautiful fruit dome cake idea and Natasha’s Kitchen for the no-fail sponge cake recipe (which I have made many, many times!). Northern lights photo credit goes to Johny Goerend on Unsplash.

Fruit Dome Cake

• Author: Betty
• Prep Time: 35 minutes
• Chill Time: At least 1 hour
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours
• Yield: 12 servings 1x
• Category: Sweets

Print Recipe

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Genoise sponge:

6 eggs, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking powder

Garnishes:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1 kiwi, peeled and sliced

2 cups sliced strawberries

1 cup blueberries

2 Tbsps. triple sec or Cointreau

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Instructions

Make the genoise sponge:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F/176 C. Line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Be sure you do not use any grease on the bottom or sides. This cake needs an ungreased surface to properly rise.
• Beat 6 eggs in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment on high speed for one minute (or with a hand mixer for 2 to 4 minutes). Slowly add sugar while the mixer is still running. Beat for another 8 to 10 minutes until thick, fluffy, and nearly triple in volume. Important note: The batter should be thick enough to stream off the whisk in ribbons that hold their shape on the surface of the batter for 5 or more seconds.
• Sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the batter in thirds. Using a spatula, fold in the flour after each addition. Be sure you haven’t missed any pockets of dry flour. Don’t overmix the batter, however, or it will deflate.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing evenly. Bake at 350F/176C for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen the sides. Turn the cakes out onto wire racks to cool. Carefully peel off the parchment paper and allow it to cool completely.

Assemble the dome cake:

• Beat the cream, yogurt, and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Line the inside of a bowl (8 or 9-inches across and about 4 inches deep) with plastic wrap, allowing for a 2-inch overhang. You will need two or three sheets of plastic wrap. Decoratively (or randomly) place the fruit in a single layer, starting at the bottom and working your way up nearly to the top edge.
• Divide the whipped cream mixture into thirds. Place one-third of the whipped cream mixture on top of the fruit and gently spread it until it covers the fruit.
• Cut one sponge cake into six or eight pie-shaped pieces. Leave the other cake whole. Place as many cut pieces as will fit in a single layer on top of the cream. Using a pastry brush, sweep the cake pieces with some triple sec until the cake is just moist. Top with one-third of whipped cream and spread it to the edges.
• Arrange any remaining fruit on top of the whipped cream. Add the last third of the whipped cream and spread it on top of the fruit. Finally, place the second uncut cake layer on top of the cream and gently press it down to fit. You may need to trim the edges, depending on the size of your bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set.
• To serve, remove the cover and place a plate or serving platter on top of the bowl. Holding the plate and bowl together, flip the whole thing upside down so that the cake is now right side up on the plate. Remove the bowl and carefully peel back the plastic wrap layer to reveal your beautiful cake! Slice with a serrated knife and serve.

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Keywords: fruit dome cake

Cape Gooseberry Pavlova

Crunchy meringue, creamy whipped cream, and sweet-tart gooseberries make for a spectacular dessert: Cape Gooseberry Pavlova!

The Dangerously Good Superfood

Superfoods? Yawn. I already know about them.

What about one that might kill you?

Wait. What? Why the heck would I eat that?

Um, because it’s delicious. Oh, and it combats cancer, slashes bad cholesterol, and knocks down inflammation.

But, is it actually yummy?

They are Scary Delicious

The fruit display brought me to a full stop. I had only seen Cape gooseberry in my copy of an Ottolenghi cookbook. When I spotted the fruit at my local grocery store last week, I stood in front of the display open-mouthed. Wow.

The taste? Imagine if candy Sweetarts were a fruit. That’s what these taste like. Slightly sweet, slightly tangy, yet hard to describe. They are unlike anything else I’ve tasted. Why yes, I bought a small box of them from that grocery store display.

Cape gooseberry is a beautiful, yellow-orange fruit about the size of a marble. It goes by many names: aguaymanto, Aztec berry, goldenberry, harankash, husk cherry, Inca berry, Peruvian groundcherry, pichuberry, poha berry, topotopo, and uchuva. Seriously, SO MANY NAMES. For my gardening geek friends: the binomial nomenclature, or Latin name, is Physalis peruviana (yo, thanks Carl Linnaeus!).

Originally native to Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador, Cape gooseberry is now grown all over the world in tropical and subtropical climates like Hawaii, where it is called poha berry. The fruit is enclosed in a papery husk, like that of tomatillos. Once the fruit is ripe, that papery husk, or calyx, can be opened to show off the yellowy orange orbs.

By the way, they might kill you.

Leopard Seals of the Fruit World

Cape gooseberries are the leopard seals of the fruit world. Leopard seals are so dang cute! But wow, don’t tick them off, especially if they are eating. They can be dangerous.

Because Cape gooseberries (also so dang cute!) belong to the nightshade family, they contain a toxin called solanine. It is present in green, unripe berries. When consumed, solanine causes cramping, diarrhea, vomiting, slowed pulse, and labored breathing which can be fatal.

Not a pretty way to die.

Easy solution: only eat them once they turn orange. This shouldn’t be a problem because grocers only carry the ripened fruit. Whew!

Cape Gooseberries have Superfood Status

How superfood-y are these yellow orange berries? In a word, very. According to registered dieticians, they contain several vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants, and withanolides (I didn’t make up this word, although it sounds like it).

Cape gooseberries contain:

• Vitamin A: important for immunity, vision, reproduction
• Vitamins B1, B2, B3: needed for brain health, energy production, breaking down of fats and drugs in the body
• Vitamin C: bolsters immune system and wound healing
• Vitamin E: antioxidant that supports blood vessels, immune system, brain
• Vitamin K: regulates blood clotting to prevent excessive bleeding
• Iron: helps the body produce blood, mostly in the form of hemoglobin. The red blood cells help oxygen to be carried to all parts of the body
• Phosphorus: assists the bones and teeth in staying strong, but also helps filter waste from the kidneys
• Antioxidants: protect against destructive free radicals and certain types of cancer.
• Phytosterols: help reduce the bad type of cholesterol, LDL
• Withanolides: anti-inflammatory steroids that assist in lessening inflammation

How to Eat Cape Gooseberries

How are they eaten? In salads, salsas, sauces, and other savory dishes. They are also used for sweets like jams, cakes, ice creams, and tarts. Cape gooseberries can go into just about any category of food. They’re category fluid.

I’ve been eyeing a recipe in Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh’s cookbook, Sweet, ever since I bought the book a few years ago. Their Cape Gooseberry Pavlova consists of crisp meringue, yogurt cream, and toffeed Cape gooseberries. Gorgeous! My version of their recipe takes a few shortcuts but is definitely inspired by the original.

Lessons Learned

• Do not walk away from the sugar as it melts in the saucepan. It melts and scorches fast, leaving you with a kitchen that smells like a tire fire. Monitor the sugar at all times!
• Do not open the oven door when the baking time is done. Your meringues, and heart, will break. Leave them undisturbed to cool in the oven for several hours.
• Read the instructions twice. I misread the circle tracing instructions and made 8 giant pavlovas instead of 16 little ones. So, not to brag, but my pavlovas were huge. It made them harder to eat once they were assembled.

Hat Tips

Many thanks go to Ottolenghi and Helen Goh for their recipe! Leopard seal photo credit to goes to Bob Brewer on Unsplash.

Cape Gooseberry Pavlova

• Author: Betty
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x
• Category: Sweets

Print Recipe

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Meringues:

• 4 ½ oz. egg whites (from 3 large eggs)
• ⅛ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar

Toffee:

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

Garnishes:

• 14 oz Cape gooseberries, divided use
• 1 cup whipping cream, whipped into soft peaks

 

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Instructions

To make the meringues:

1. Preheat the oven to 275°F/140°C. Place oven racks on the two middle shelves of the oven. Trace 8 circles, about 3 inches/8 cm wide, on a sheet of parchment paper. Repeat on a second sheet of parchment paper. Place parchment papers on two baking sheets.
2. Whisk the egg whites and salt together with a mixer, either stand or hand-held, until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks are formed. Spoon in the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until all the sugar is added. The mixture should be thick and shiny.
3. Dollop a large spoonful of the mixture onto each of the drawn circles on the parchment paper, dividing equally. Smooth the tops with the back of a spoon. Each meringue should be ⅓ inch/1 cm thick. 
4. Place both baking sheets in the oven. Bake for 2 hours. Turn off the oven but do not open the door! Opening the oven door will let in cooler air and cause the meringues to crack and collapse. Let the meringues cool, undisturbed, for at least 2 to 3 hours.  

To make the toffee:

1. Select 8 Cape gooseberries and carefully peel back the papery husk but leave it attached to the berry. Set aside.
2. Place the sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat. Do not stir. Tilt the pan from side to side as the sugar melts and caramelizes. 
3. Once the sugar is a caramel color, remove it from the heat. 
4. Working quickly, tilt the pan so that the toffee collects to one side. Holding onto the husk, dip gooseberry (just the fruit, not the husk) into the toffee. Let the excess toffee drip back into the pan and place the fruit on a plate or sheet of parchment. 
5. Repeat with the remaining 7 gooseberries. 

To assemble:

1. Remove the papery husk from the remaining gooseberries and cut them in halves.
2. Top one meringue with whipped cream and a few berry halves. Place another meringue on top. Spoon on more whipped cream and top with a toffee-coated Cape gooseberry as a garnish. 

 

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