Maple Pumpkin + Carameled Walnut Hand Pies
Serves: 15-18 hand pies
 
Ingredients
  • FOR THE CRUST:
  • 2½ cups White Whole Wheat Flour (or all-purpose)
  • 3 tablespoons fine Cane Sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • ¼ cup Shortening
  • 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) Butter, cold and cut into small cubes
  • ¼ cup + Ice Water
  • FOR THE CARAMELED WALNUTS:
  • ½ cup Maple Syrup
  • 3 tablespoons Butter
  • 3 tablespoons Heavy Cream (coconut cream works perfectly as well)
  • ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1 cup Walnuts, roughly chopped (lightly toast before using for the best pies ever!)
  • FOR THE PUMPKIN FILLING:
  • 1½ cups Pumpkin Puree (or any sweet squash puree...I used red kuri squash)
  • ⅓ cup Coconut Palm Sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon Cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground Cloves
  • 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • TO TOP:
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • coarse sugar
Instructions
  1. FOR THE CRUST:
  2. Place the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with an 's' blade. Pulse the mixture a few times until blended together.
  3. Add the shortening to the food processor and pulse once. Add the cubes of butter, one at a time, pulsing a few times after the addition of each cube.
  4. With the processor running, drizzle in the ice water until the mixture starts to form into large clumps. Do not add too much water. Dough should not be sticky or wet, but should come together to form a nice dough.
  5. Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll to ⅛" thickness.
  6. Cut circles out of the dough that are 4" in diameter (or close to that size). You should have about 15-18 circles. Re-roll scraps as needed and cut out until all the dough is used. Place dough circles in the fridge until you have made the nut and pumpkin fillings.
  7. FOR THE CARAMELED WALNUTS:
  8. Place the maple syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium/high heat. Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the syrup thickens and turns a slightly darker amber color, stirring occasionally. Take care not to burn the syrup.
  9. Add the butter, cream, and salt to the syrup. Syrup will seize up momentarily - continue to cook and it will all melt back down and become smooth within a minute or two. Once the syrup is thick and smooth again, remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla.
  10. Add the nuts to the caramel and stir until thoroughly coated. Set aside and make the pumpkin filling.
  11. FOR THE PUMPKIN FILLING:
  12. Add the pumpkin puree, palm sugar, cinnamon, cloves, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla to a food processor. Process until completely smooth, one to two minutes. Assemble pies.
  13. TO ASSEMBLE:
  14. Place the dough rounds on a floured surface.
  15. Place 1 tablespoon of the walnut caramel in the center of each circle. Place 2 tablespoons of the pumpkin filling on top of the walnut caramel. Fold the pies in half and seal the edges in whatever manner you prefer (simply pressing the tines of a fork around the edge is fast and efficient).
  16. Place the pies on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  17. Make a few cuts on the top of the pies with a sharp knife.
  18. Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg and sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar.
  19. Bake on the middle shelf of an oven preheated to 425 for 15-17 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.
  20. Remove and let pies cool on a wire rack.
  21. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Recipe by The Kitchen McCabe at https://www.thekitchenmccabe.com/2016/11/03/maple-pumpkin-carameled-walnut-hand-pies/