Mango Pineapple Hand Pies

This installment of Friday Pie Day brings Mango Pineapple Hand Pies filled with fresh mango and canned pineapple cooked down into a jam.

Friday Pie Day

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

Print Recipe

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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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