Shake Up Summer Snacks

Power up for summer adventures by shaking up your snacking routine with homemade recipes inspired by childhood favorites. Kick off summer with Strawberry Walnut Hand Pies for delicious summer snacks loaded with the nutrition benefits of California walnuts.

Visit walnuts.org/snacking for more snack recipes.


Strawberry Walnut Hand PiesStrawberry Walnut Hand Pies

Ingredients:

Dough:

  • 1/4 cup California walnuts
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cane sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 4-5 tablespoons ice cold water
  • 1 egg, beaten

Strawberry Walnut Filling:

  • 1 cup strawberries, tops removed, halved
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons cane sugar
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped California walnuts

Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons 2% milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon beetroot powder
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped California walnuts

Instructions:

To make dough: In food processor, pulse walnuts until fine and evenly ground. Add flour, sugar and salt to ground walnuts; pulse to combine. Add cubed butter; pulse until butter is in small pieces. Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing while adding, until dough starts sticking together.

Transfer dough to clean surface; shape into two 4-inch discs. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

To make filling: In food processor, pulse strawberries and lemon juice until slightly chunky.

Transfer to saucepan and gradually whisk in cornstarch until dissolved. Stir in sugar.

Heat over low heat until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Turn heat off and stir in chopped walnuts. Transfer mixture to small bowl; refrigerate.

To assemble hand pies: Remove one dough disc from refrigerator. Lightly flour work surface and rolling pin. Roll out dough into large rectangle. Slice dough into six 4-by-2-inch rectangles. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

In bowl, mix water and egg. Brush perimeter of dough rectangles with egg wash. Place 1 tablespoon filling on center of dough.

Roll out second dough disc, creating six rectangles of dough. Place on top of jam and crimp edges with fork to seal. Freeze hand pies 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Trim uneven edges of dough with sharp knife and brush tops and sides with egg wash.

Bake 20-24 minutes until golden brown around edges. Cool at room temperature 5 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to wire cooling rack until completely cooled.

To make frosting: In bowl, whisk sugar, milk and beetroot powder until thick but smooth. Drizzle frosting over hand pies and top with chopped walnuts. Cool 15 minutes, or until frosting is set.