Hey everybody! I keep having to apologize for skipping posts! I swear it isn’t intentional. March has been such a crazy month. However, I missed you guys way too much, and I knew you deserved a post, even if it’s relatively short.

Now here we are. Ham and Brie Hand pies. These are amazing. Perfect as a savory breakfast option. Which I enjoy from time to time, however I could also eat pancakes every day for the rest of my life, and be the happiest, chubbiest person in existence. These are a wonderful option though, and you will catch me grabbing one from the freezer to take with me to work every once in awhile.

Ingredients

Pie Crust

• 2 ^1/₃  cups all purpose flour
• 1 ^1/₂ tsp kosher salt
• 1 ^1/₂ tsp granulated sugar
• 8 ounces (cold) unsalted butter- cut into small cubes
• 1/2 cup ice water
• Extra flour for dusting

Filling for Ham and Brie

• Diced Ham
• 1 small wheel of Brie cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
• 1 tablespoon course salt
• 1 egg

Instructions:

Pie Crust

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment combine together, flour, sugar and salt.
2. Add the butter to the flour mixture, in small pieces. On low speed, mix the butter into the flour until the butter pieces are pea, and dime sized and fully incorporated. The flour should be the consistency of cornmeal.
3. Add the ice water, small amounts at a time, and mix everything until it comes together into a shaggy ball. Don’t over mix it. If you don’t use all of the water, that is okay. You don’t want to make it too wet, or too dry.
4. Once it is combined, flatten it and divide it into 3 pieces. Wrap and place in the fridge for at least an hour.
5. On a floured work surface, place the pie dough and roll it out, turning the dough with each roll to keep it a circle shape. Once it is between an 1/8 and a 1/4 inch thick you can begin cutting out your circles. I used a 3 inch diameter circle cookie cutter, you can use whatever you would like. Just make sure the circles are the same size for stacking. Your yield will also vary, based on circle size.

*Store any extra pie dough in the fridge for a few days, or in the freezer for up to 14 days to keep it as fresh as possible*

Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. To assemble your pies, take each circle and lay it out on a floured work surface. In the center of each circle place a small amount of ham, and a small amount of brie. Don’t go too close to the edges, because you want to be able to close them.
3. Make an egg wash. Mix together one whole egg, and a tablespoon of water. Whisk together.
4. Using your egg wash, brush the barrier you left around the filling. Place the second circle on top and press the edges to close them. Feel free to stamp the edges with a fork to keep them closed.
5. Cut vent holes in the top layer, using a paring knife, create a small slit in the top layer.
6. Brush the tops of the hand pies with the egg wash.
7. Mix your rosemary and salt together, and sprinkle on top of the egg wash.
8. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the tops are golden, and the pastry is cooked through and is no longer translucent.

* Side Note: If you don’t want to bake all of the hand pies at once, feel free to freeze them. Skip the final egg wash, and keep them in a freezer safe container. Just preheat your oven, take out, egg wash, and bake. Bake times may vary, so just keep an eye on it. *