Nutella Strawberry Hand Pies

You won’t get much cuter than these adorable strawberry hand pies for a Valentine’s treat. And can you just imagine the points you’ll be scoring when you present someone with one (or all…) of these hand pies with their flaky pastry exterior and fresh strawberry and Nutella filling? Um, YUM! The kids have already asked me to bake these for their Valentine’s picnic at school and I’m sure they are going to be the hit of the day. They’re also perfect for lunchboxes, as an easy Valentine’s day dessert served with a scoop of ice cream or as a teacher gift. I mean, who could resist?

How to make strawberry hand pies

Combine chopped strawberries with sugar and allow to macerate for 10 minutes. Cut 16 heart shapes (I used a heart cookie cutter approximately 10cm in size) out of puff pastry rolled out on a floured surface. Place a spoonful of Nutella in the center of 8 of the hearts then top with a spoonful of the drained strawberry mixture. Brush the edges of the heart with beaten egg then place another heart on top. Make a few cuts to the top pastry to act as vents then brush with the beaten egg. Place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown and puffed.

Can I use other fruit?

Yes! Apples, pears, peaches, cherries, blueberries, nectarines and rhubarb are all excellent in hand pies. It’s a good idea to cook fruit down with a little sugar to make a pie filling. The hand pies cook very quickly so whatever filling you use needs to be already cooked. The filling also can’t be too wet as the juices will run out of the hand pies.

Can I freeze hand pies?

Yes, you can. Simply freeze in a single layer before baking then transfer to a freezer container/bag and freeze for up 2 months. Bake from frozen until golden brown and warmed through.