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The first new post on the Blog just had to be from our Baker-in-Chief… Andrew’s Fig Raspberry Hand Pies

The first new post on the Blog just had to be from our Baker-in-Chief… Andrew’s Fig Raspberry Hand Pies
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It’s been a long haul and wending our way through 765 posts has taken time to say the least. But at last we’ve arrived on Publication Day One of the new and improved Chewing the Fat. And it seems so appropriate that someone who gives as much time and care and contributions should have the first post.  Here are Andrew’s Fig Raspberry Hand Pies.

A take-off on a recipe in Martha’s Stewart’s Pies and Tarts (Clarkson Potter 2011), credit is given to Joey Gallagher, whose daughter is Dana is a frequent photographer in Martha Stewart Living. But I give full credit to Andrew, whose recipe for the juicy fig and raspberry filling is all his.  Farm stand Figs and Raspberries are combined with lemon zest, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and honey to form a perfect filling for Pate Brisée pastry.  That pastry is then  crimped and covered in Demerara sugar for a wonderful crunch in every bite.

The hand pie is a child of the South, most famously of a bakery in New Orleans called Hubigs.  The bakery burned to the ground in 2012, the victim of a lard fire, never to be rebuilt again. But the pie itself is still a staple across the South, gratefully discovered and church bake sales, picnics and in many a southern Grandmother’s kitchen.  Andrew’s Hand Pies even made it to this year’s Hampton Classic where they joined his Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies and his favorite Brownie Recipe.

Like all recipes with a tradition behind them, there’s some debate about what makes a true Hand Pie.   Historically, the fillings were made with rehydrated dried fruits since fresh fruit was too wet to support the pastry.   More recently, dried and fresh fruits thickened with sugar have come into the hand pie universe.

Need I tell you, being Southern, Hand pies are usually deep fried, or fried in a cast iron skillet.  But the ‘health conscious’ among us bake them in the oven.   The real challenge here is to put just the right amount of filling into each.  Easy does it is the rule here. Even if you’re tempted to load it on, don’t.  And rolling the dough thin helps the pies from being gummy.   Here’s Andrew’s recipe:

 

 

 

 


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1 thought on “The first new post on the Blog just had to be from our Baker-in-Chief… Andrew’s Fig Raspberry Hand Pies”

  • WOW! Gorgeous new design. Congratulations! Beautiful pics and delicious recipes are your signature. Thanks so much for all the hard work that went into it.

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