Strawberry Lemonade Hand Pies
Ingredients
FOR THE PASTRY
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp Purecane™ zero calorie baking sweetener
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and kept very cold
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1/4 cup ice water (may need slightly more/less depending on consistency)
- Heavy cream, for wash
FOR THE LEMON CURD
- 2 large egg yolks + 1 whole large egg
- 2/3 cup Purecane™ zero calorie baking sweetener
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2-3 lemons)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)
FOR THE STRAWBERRY ICING
- 1 cup Purecane powdered sugar (see instructions below)
- 1/4 cup crushed dried strawberries
- 1/3 cup heavy cream (add more/less for thicker/thinner icing)
- Dried strawberries, for garnish
Directions
FOR THE PASTRY
1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, Purecane baking sugar, and salt. Add the butter cubes and coat them in the flour. Using a pastry blender (or forks, your fingers, etc.) work the butter into the flour, until the mixture is pretty uniform, crumbly and butter pieces are about the size of peas.
2. Add heavy cream and 3-4 tablespoons ice water, then gently mix everything together using a spatula or your hands. Make sure you work quickly so you don't melt the butter. If the dough is too dry, add in another tablespoon of water.
3. Form dough into 2 equal sized disks and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight.
FOR THE LEMON CURD
1. Fill a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl over a saucepan) with 1-2 inches of water and turn on high heat. Once the water begins to boil, reduce to simmer.
2. Place whole egg, yolks, Purecane baking sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt into the top pot of your double boiler/pot. Whisk until completely blended, then continue to whisk as the curd cooks, so as to prevent the egg yolks from curdling. Whisk and cook until the mixture becomes thick, resembling the texture of hollandaise sauce, about 10 minutes. If the curd isn’t thickening, raise the heat and whisk continuously. Be careful not to let the bottom burn.
3. Remove pan from heat. Cut the butter into pieces, then whisk into the curd, allowing it to melt. Pour curd into a bowl to allow it to cool and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top so it is touching the top of the curd (this prevents a skin from forming on top.) The curd will continue to thicken as it cools.
TO ASSEMBLE THE TARTS
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Remove one of the pastry discs from the fridge. Flour a rolling pin and your working surface. Working quickly, roll the dough out into a rectangle about 10″x13″.
3. Using a ruler and a knife, cut your dough into a perfect 9″x12″ rectangle. Then, cut your rectangle into 9 equal pieces, each 3″x4″.
4. Transfer each piece to a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving at least 1 inch between each rectangle. Once all 9 rectangles are moved onto the baking sheet, place the sheet in the fridge while you repeat the rolling and cutting process with the second half of the pastry.
5. Remove the baking sheet from the fridge. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the pastry bases with heavy cream to help the top and bottom pieces adhere together.
6. Spoon a rounded tablespoon of lemon curd into the center of each pop tart base and spread it slightly, being careful to avoid the edges.
7. Place the remaining top rectangles over the filling and press down on the edges slightly to seal the dough together. Then, using a fork, create indentations around the entire pastry.
8. Gently brush the tops of each "Pop tart" with heavy cream, then use a sharp knife to cut 3 air holes on the top of each pastry. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until slightly golden, then allow to cool completely.
FOR THE STRAWBERRY ICING
1. As the "Pop tarts" are cooling, it’s time to make the Purecane powdered sugar and icing! To make the powdered sugar, pour Purecane baking sugar into a blender or food processor (the Vitamix works great!). Blend the sugar on high speed, until it is a fine, fluffy powdered sugar.
*Note: You'll need slightly more than half the amount of Purecane baking sugar as you need for powdered sugar - for example, for 1 cup of powdered sugar, use slightly more than 1/2 cup Purecane baking sugar.
2. Place dried strawberries in a plastic baggie and crush them into fine pieces with a rolling pin.
3. Whisk together the Purecane powdered baking sugar, crushed dried strawberries, and heavy cream. Heat in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to thin the icing. Spread the icing over the cooled "Pop tarts" and sprinkle with dried strawberry pieces.
