Baked Hand Pies featuring Heavenly Rhubarb Jam

Baked Hand Pies featuring Heavenly Rhubarb Jam. Made with an easy, flaky homemade pie dough and a family favourite pineapple strawberry rhubarb jam. Perfectly portioned and using only a few simple ingredients, even beginner bakers can master these adorable little pies.  Baked Hand Pies featuring Heavenly Rhubarb Jam. Olivia here again! It’s been a busy few weeks for me. I’ve just moved into a new apartment in Parkdale, and upgraded to a much larger kitchen. It’s where I’ve been spending most of my time, and these Heavenly Rhubarb Baked Hand Pies are my latest creation. Rhubarb was a real indicator of spring growing up in Newfoundland. I remember it growing in my Nan’s yard in Norman’s Cove alongside prickly currants. At my first job making waffles at the St. John’s Farmer’s Market, the seasonal rhubarb topping would run out faster than any other.  A homemade flaky pastry makes them so good! Now that I live in Toronto, I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for rhubarb the past few weeks. I was so happy to find some at my go-to fruit stand on West Queen West.  Heavenly Rhubarb Jam  Heavenly Rhubarb Jam is a family favourite recipe that my great-grandmother used to make. Dad updated that recipe a few years ago to use fresh or frozen fruit instead of canned pineapple and Jello.  For these baked hand pies, I actually adapted the jam recipe again to incorporate No Sugar Needed Pectin. It serves several functions here. Firstly, it helps set the jam more effectively, making it less likely to ooze out of your hand pies (although it’s not a big deal if that does happen.) Secondly, it allows you to use less sugar, adjusting the sweetness of the jam to your taste. I prefer a less sweet jam, which allows the tartness of the rhubarb and the natural sweetness of the golden pineapple to shine through.  The amount of jam this particular recipe yields makes enough for 10 hand pies, plus an extra 250 ml jar. Spread that on toast, use it as an ice cream topping like my cousin Celia, or eat it by the spoonful because it’s THAT good.  Of course, you can also use whatever jam you have on hand. Such adorable little pies. Yes, you CAN make great homemade pie crust! So, let’s talk about pie. Pie can be daunting. Scrolling through Instagram I often see elaborately latticed pies so beautiful it seems a shame to even cut them. Here’s the thing: if you can make a good pie dough, no matter what it ends up looking like, it’s one of the most satisfying things you can bake.  Baked Hand Pies featuring Heavenly Rhubarb Jam. This brings me to hand pies. I love them. They are perfect little pockets that lower the stakes of making pie. If you mess one up, you still have nine more chances to make a better one.  You can eat these baked hand pies without any dishes, so they’re a great treat to take on picnics or pass out at parties. Best of all, you can make a little pie just for yourself. Have another the next day for breakfast. You have my explicit permission to eat pie for breakfast. Tips for pie dough There are a few easy tricks to make a good pie dough. Using half butter and half shortening makes for optimal flakiness.  Make sure the fats are very cold, and only use enough ice water to bring the dough together. The trick here is not to overwork the dough. It’s okay if it is a little crumbly, so long as it holds together. Baked Hand Pies featuring Heavenly Rhubarb Jam. Chilling the dough before rolling is essential. Be sure to take the time to do so. It also helps to chill the cut out pie rounds for 15 minutes before assembling the baked hand pies.  Even if your pies look a little messy, I promise they will still be a rustic and delicious treat. Happy hand pie-making! Like this Baked Hand Pies recipe? Be sure to check out our Top Ten Pie Recipes!   It’s easy to keep up with the latest home style cooking & baking ideas from Rock Recipes. Be sure to follow Rock Recipes Facebook Page and follow us on Instagram.  Plus you’ll see daily recipe suggestions from decadent desserts to quick delicious weekday meals too.  You can also sign up for our FREE newsletter to know immediately when we add new recipes. You’ll also get weekly suggestions for great family friendly  meals and desserts too! Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past. Visit my Amazon Store for my favourite kitchen gadgets and appliances, plus recommendations from my personal cookbook collection.