Spring Hand-Pies with Rhubarb Chutney

These Spring Pies with Rhubarb are packed to the brim with tangy sweetened rhubarb. They are a classic finger food which sweet-sour taste brigs freshness and spring feeling to the table.

The dough is crunchy and perfectly matches the rhubarb texture. The dough is easy to work with once cooled.

To make the shapes and keep it as it is the trick is to cool the shaped and filled pies in the fridge before baking.

If you plan to make these rhubarb pies for Weekend Breakfast, and in your family sweet or salty breakfast is always a point dispute, you may fill halve the pies with cheesy filling. Combine an egg with Greek cheese and Cheddar, add some herbs and voila. Bake both salty and cheesy pies in one tray.

The dough for Spring Hand-Pies with Rhubarb Chutney

The dough is simple, knead in the food processor prepared for pastry dough kneading, fitted with the metal hook.

All you need for the dough are some ingredients from the fridge: butter, cream cheese, flour and some apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper and a little cold water.

Once you knead the dough – set it in the fridge to cool.  If you are in a hurry – put it in the freezer for 15 minutes.

The Rhubarb Chutney for filling:

Make a Rhubarb chutney. All you need is: 1/3 cup sugar, 2 cups rhubarb, 3 tbsp white cider vinegar, salt and freshly ground black pepper. These quantities will produce 1 jar Rhubarb Chutney. Click for Recipe Details. 

You will use some for the Hand-Spring Pies and what rests will be a great add to your roasted chicken. Yes, rhubarb is here, and we use it wherever we can😊.

Forming the Spring Hand-Pies with Rhubarb Chutney

In a small bowl, whisk the egg white with 1 tablespoon water; set aside.

Remove the dough from refrigerator. On a clean, floured surface, roll out the dough to 3 mm thickness. Using a small plate or biscuit cutter and cut out 12 cm circles of dough. Lay each circle on parchment paper. Spoon a teaspoon of the rhubarb mixture onto one half of each dough circle, leaving space around the edge. Brush edges with egg-white wash. Fold the dough over the rhubarb so the edges meet and crimp the edges with a fork. Brush the top with the egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Cut thin slits in the top of the dough over the rhubarb with the tip of a paring knife to let steam escape.

If you want a cheesy filling, fill with egg-cheesy mixture.

Put the pies in the refrigerate to cool the dough for 15 minutes before baking.

Baking the Spring Hand-Pies with Rhubarb Chutney

Preheat the oven to 190°C and bake for 20 minutes.

Pack them along, cooled, for a picnic in your Lunchbox or serve them warm with ice-cream.

Tip:

Scrap dough can be re-rolled once to make additional pies or cut into small pieces, brushed with egg wash, sprinkled with sugar, and baked for a pastry snack.