Ingredients
1 lemon (for zest)
1/4 cup lemon juice (59 mL)
2 pinches salt (for filling)
1/2 cup sugar (99 g)
2 tablespoons cornstarch (15 g)
2 1/2 cups frozen strawberries (360 g)
1/2 cup ice water (118 mL)
1/2 teaspoon salt (for dough)
1 tablespoon sugar (21 g)
1 cup butter (226 g, cut into cubes and frozen)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (300 g)
Step by step
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: KitchenAid® Dual Convection Air Fry Oven with Air Fry Basket or KitchenAid® Induction Range with Air Fry Mode; saucepan; food processor; rolling pin
Make the filling. Whisk together sugar and cornstarch; set aside. Place the strawberries, lemon zest, and lemon juice into a small saucepan on medium heat. Cover the saucepan and allow to cook to defrost the berries. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching. When berries are softened (about 4-5 minutes), remove cover and add in sugar mixture. Use a wooden spatula to stir the mixture into the strawberries, scraping the bottom of the pan as you stir. Once strawberries are broken down but still chunky, turn off heat. Transfer strawberry mixture to a heat proof bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to cool.
While the strawberry mixture is cooling, prepare the dough. In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, cubed frozen butter, sugar, and salt. Pulse 4-5 times. Slowly pour the water through the food tube about two tablespoons at a time, and pulse after each addition.
Turn the mixture into a large bowl and gently knead the dough until it all comes together, being careful not to overwork the dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and rest in the refrigerator until filling is cool. (NOTE: if the dough is a bit dry, add a tablespoon of water and continue working by hand.)
Assembly: Generously flour your work surface and roll the dough into a large rectangle about 1/4-inch thick and 12 inches tall x 16 inches wide. Use a sharp knife to trim the edges of the dough to create fairly straight edges, then cut the dough into four quarters, and each quarter into four equal pieces. Match up pairs of the rectangles and lay them in front of you. Then, slice 2-3 slits into the center of one piece of dough in each pair. (You can also use a small decorative cutter no larger than a penny to create a single punch out in place of slits.) The vented piece will be the top of the hand pie.
Place about two tablespoons of filling into the center of a layer of dough, and take its pair (with the vents already cut out) and gently stretch it so it will fit over the filling and match the bottom edges of dough. Use a fork to press and seal the outer edges of the dough and secure the filling. Repeat until all hand pies are assembled.
Use a spatula to transfer the hand pies from the countertop into KitchenAid® No Flip Air Fry Basket, leaving about 1/2 inch of space between each pie. Egg wash the tops of the exposed dough, and generously sprinkle decorative sugar over the tops.
Place the air fry basket into the freezer to chill while you preheat the oven. Turn the KitchenAid® Dual Convection Air Fry Oven to Air Fry setting, temperature to 425°F/220°C, and the time to 17 minutes. Once preheat is done, move the hand pies from the freezer and into the oven on the middle level.
Begin checking hand pies around 14 minutes. Hand pies are done when the crust is golden brown, and the juices are bubbling through the center vents.
Chef’s Notes: When rolling out the dough, be sure to keep the the counter generously floured to prevent sticking. Also, roll the dough once. You can can re-roll excess dough you trim from the edges, but additionally rolling/working the dough will make the dough less flaky. Dip your fork in a bit of flour when sealing the edges of the hand pies. It will help the fork release from the dough easier.