Ham, Swiss and Jalapeño-Cranberry Hand Pies
Crispy, flaky layers of buttery pastry give way to warm, gooey Swiss cheese, rich smoked ham, and a bright spark of spicy cranberry jam. It is that irresistible contrast of hot, savoury melted goodness with a sweet & subtle jalapeño warmth that makes these golden jack-o'-lantern hand pies vanish off the serving tray in minutes.When autumn rolls around, hand pies are one of my absolute favourite treats to roll out in the kitchen. They look fancy enough for party platters, but they come together with simple techniques you can master easily. Whether you use a cute pumpkin pie press or cut out freehand shapes, these little pastries lock in big flavour.
Ingredients
➡️Note on Scaling the Recipe: When scaling to 2X or 3X, the light grey ingredient notes and the instructions remain unchanged. Please adjust as needed.
All-Butter Pie Dough
- 4½ cups all-purpose flour 540 g
- 1½ cups plus 4½ tablespoon cold unsalted butter 405 g , cut into 1 cm (⅜-inch) cubes
- 1⅞ teaspoon fine salt 11 g
- 10½ to 13½ tablespoon ice-cold water 158 to 203 mL
Ham, Swiss & Cranberry Filling
- 6 oz smoked ham 180 g, finely diced into 3 to 4 mm (⅛-inch) pieces
- 5 oz Swiss cheese, preferably Emmental 140 g, coarsely grated
- ½ cup thick, chilled homemade Ginger-Jalapeño-Cranberry Sauce 110 g
- ½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
Combine Flour and Salt
- Whisk the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl to combine thoroughly. Keep the cubed butter in the refrigerator until the exact moment you are ready to mix.
Cut in the Butter
- Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits and a few larger, flattened pieces remaining. Work efficiently to prevent the butter from warming.
Hydrate the Pastry Dough
- Pour in 10½ tablespoon (158 mL) of ice-cold water. Toss gently with a fork to distribute moisture evenly. Squeeze a small handful of dough together; if it holds form without crumbling, do not add more water. If dry, add additional ice water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough clings together when pressed. The dough should look shaggy, not smooth or wet.
Form and Chill Discs
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently press it together without kneading. Divide into six equal portions and shape each into a 1-inch thick disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (preferably 2 hours).
Prepare the Savoury Filling
- Pat the ham dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture before dicing. In a medium bowl, fold together the diced ham, grated Swiss cheese, chilled cranberry sauce, and orange zest until evenly mixed. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes while rolling out the crust.
Roll and Cut Pastry Shapes
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with one disc at a time, roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface to ⅛-inch (3 mm) thickness.
- Using a Press: Cut 24 total 3½-inch pumpkin shapes using a hand pie press (12 solid bases and 12 decorative tops with cutouts).
- Freehand / Cookie Cutters (Alternative): If you do not have a press, use a 3½-inch pumpkin cookie cutter (or a round 3½-inch glass/cutter). Cut 24 pieces. Cut decorative jack-o'-lantern faces into 12 top pieces using a paring knife. Transfer cut shapes to prepared baking sheets and chill for 15 minutes in the fridge before filling.
- Place the cutouts on the parchement lined sheet pans (one for the solid bases and one for the cut outs tops) and refrigerate for 15 minutes.. The cut outs should be cold before the next step.
Assemble the Hand Pies
- Whisk the egg and water together to create the egg wash.
- Place the solid pastry base into the smooth side of the pie press. Lightly brush the outer border of the base. Spoon roughly 1 tablespoon (25 g) of cold filling into the center of each base, keeping the outer edges clean. Position a cut-out top over each base, aligning stems and edges. Press edges gently around the filling mound to expel trapped air. Seal securely using the hand pie press, or crimp the edges tightly using the tines of a fork. If using solid tops without face cutouts, cut two small steam vents in the center of each pie.
- Chill assembled hand pies in the refrigerator for 25 to 30 minutes until firm.
Bake to Golden Perfection
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C) conventional bake (or 375°F / 190°C fan-forced convection bake) with the rack set in the middle position. Lightly brush the chilled hand pies with egg wash, taking care not to pool liquid inside decorative cutouts. Bake one sheet at a time for 24 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through. The pies are done when the pastry is deep golden brown and the bottoms are crisp. Loose foil can be tented over tops if they brown too quickly.
💬Tried this Recipe?
- We'd really appreciate a rating and a quick review! It helps more home cooks find the recipe, and we love hearing what you think.
Notes
Pro Tips for Pastry Success
- Keep Ingredients Cold: Cold butter creates steam pockets during baking, which creates distinct flaky layers. If the pastry feels soft or sticky at any point, pause and return it to the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Avoid Rerolling Scraps Excessively: Overworking dough scraps causes toughness. Gather leftover scraps once, press gently, chill, and roll out for extra cutouts.
- Do Not Overfill: Keep filling around 1 tablespoon (20 g) per pie. Overstuffed pies will leak cranberry sauce and split open during baking.
Substitutions & Variations
- Cheese Variations: Swap Emmental Swiss with Gruyère, sharp white cheddar, or Gouda.
- Meat Alternatives: Diced smoked turkey breast or thick-cut bacon pieces work wonderfully in place of ham.
- Cranberry Alternative: If you do not have homemade jalapeño cranberry sauce, use a quality store-bought cranberry sauce.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve alongside a crisp autumn salad, roasted squash soup, or a warm mug of spiced apple cider.
- Drizzle hot honey or sprinkle Maldon sea salt over warm pies right before serving for extra flavour depth.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating
- Make Ahead (Dough): Prepare dough up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate, or freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.
- Make Ahead (Cranberry Sauce): Prepare sauce up to 4 days ahead and store covered in the fridge.
- Freezing Unbaked Pies: Assemble pies completely on a parchment-lined tray and freeze until solid. Transfer to an airtight freezer container for up to 2 months. Bake directly from frozen at 400°F (205°C), adding 3 to 5 extra minutes to the bake time. (Note: Do not leave unbaked pies in the refrigerator overnight, as wet filling will soak into raw pastry).
- Storing Baked Leftovers: Store baked pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat stored pies on a baking sheet in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8 to 12 minutes until heated through and pastry crisps back up. Avoid microwaving, as it softens the flaky crust.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!