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Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies

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Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies by Baking The Goods

Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies by Baking The Goods.

It’s hard not to take it personally when your friends move away. You start to question everything. Am I not enough? Did I do something wrong? Have I been a bad friend? Some of our Santa Barbara besties decided to leave this idyllic little beach town in search of greener pastures, the greenest in fact – The Emerald City. Over the weekend they moved to Seattle and as a born and bred Washingtonian, I’m proud. But, my selfish Californian side is disappointed. There is a change my disappointment is just a front and I’m actually green with envy, there really is nowhere quite like the great Pacific Northwest. Maybe.

This is a new chapter for my dear friends, Constanze and Paul, and I am excited for them to experience a new city and a new life together. And since I can’t be there, I’ll be the awkward third wheel obsessively watching them explore Seatown through the tiny, filtered lens of their Instagram Stories. I have a sneaking suspicion they will adore their new lives as Pacific Northwesters and relish in the excitement of exploring the cascading wonders of Cascadia. Our dwindling SB Fam will sure miss this cornerstone couple, but I get it, sometimes you just have to try something new and move on. I cherish our friendships and take comfort in knowing that my original home, the PNW, is better off with this new addition. 

Change is hard and letting go of creature comforts can seem nearly impossible. That’s why when newly minted Seattlite, Paul Bates, asked for strawberry rhubarb hand pies for their going away party, I knew I needed to mix it up a bit. Strawberries and rhubarb have been in a comfortable place for years, we all know they go well together. But, they’ve had their heyday. It’s time to explore new territory and branch out of our comfort zone. Sorry to say it but move over strawberries, rhubarb’s got a new side piece. My new recipe for Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies is a pretty pink foray into the untapped world of deeper flavors and jammier textures. While I will always and forever love the combination of strawberries and rhubarb, it’s fun to explore this new region of pie fillings. I’m not saying it’s better, it’s just different. But, it might actually be a little better. 😉 
 
These Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies combine the bitterly tart tinge of rhubarb with the jammy sweetness of summer raspberries. My no-fail, all butter pie dough gets a touch of peppery heat and color from freshly ground pink peppercorns, grounding the tart filling in earthy warmth and buttery comfort. To round out the peppered tartness of it all, I glazed these rustic little hand pies with a simple icing made from the reserved juices released from the fruit filling and whisked that with snowy, powdered sugar. When all of those components come together, these Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies are a balanced, fresh take on an old comfort. It’s familiar but it’s also new and exciting. Kind of like seeing your old, familiar furniture in a bright new space. 
 
While I desperately miss my pals and it feels weird to move on from strawberries, I welcome the possibility to make some new memories along with some fresh recipes. If Paul and Constanze’s new life in WA tastes half as sweet as these Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies, they are in for a treat. I’ll miss our taco dates and beach bonfire nights but look forward to full bodied coffee chats and exploring Capital Hill with fresh eyes. And who knows, maybe if I visit my Seattle pals, we can translate these Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies into some sort of huckleberry rhubarb situation, because change can be remarkably delicious.  

Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies ingredients

This combo or raspberries, rhubarb and pink peppercorns is a triple threat flavors.

pink peppercorns in pie dough

I love the warm notes pink peppercorns bring to buttery pie dough. I add the ground pepper corns in with the dry ingredients and whisk together.

Pink peppercorn pie dough by Baking The Goods

When shaping the pie dough into disks, I square off the sides if I am making square or rectangular hand pies. When shaping the pice dough, my favorite tools are a straight style rolling pin, a bench knife, a pizza cutter and a stainless steel ruler to get the lines right. Plus, I love rolling out dough on a marble board because it’s a smooth surface and keeps the dough cold longer.  

Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies rolled dough

If you start with a square of dough, it’s easier to keep the dough square as you roll it out.

Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies filling

The pie filling is a simple mix of raspberries, rhubarb, sugar & lemon. So simple, so good.

Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies thickener

Once the filling has been mixed and sat for at least 15 minutes, the juices release from the berries. I strain out the juice, reserve about 1/4 cup and mix the rest in a separate bowl with tapioca starch to create a slurry that will help to thicken the filling.

Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies shaping

The Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies are fun to shape and seal together with the press of a fork.

Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies glaze ingredients

The raspberry rhubarb glaze could not be easier to make, you just whisk together powdered sugar and the reserved pie filling juices for a pretty pink glaze.

Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies glaze

Whisk the powdered sugar and juices together until smooth and the glaze runs off the whisk in a smooth ribbon.

Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies - glazing

I like a messy glaze, so I use the back of a small spatula to slop it on. You could be fancier with it, if you fancy like that.

Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies glazed

This cute little Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pie is a hot mess, just the way I like it.

Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies bite

Of course I had to bite into one immediately. The filling is full of tart, jammy flavor balanced by the sweetness from the glaze and the aromatic, pink peppercorn spiced, buttery crust.

Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies by Baking The Goods

Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies for days. They are extra pretty when they lay atop pink peppercorn twigs gathered from a neighborhood tree.

Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pie

These little pink Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies are delightfully messy and adorably delicious.

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Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies by Baking The Goods

Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies

  • Author: Becky Sue of Baking The Goods
  • Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
  • Yield: 12 hand pies
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Description

Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies are a balanced mix of tart & tangy, spicy sweetness wrapped in a buttery crust & covered in pretty pink glaze. 

Ingredients

Units

PINK PEPPERCORN ALL BUTTER VODKA PIE DOUGH

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (- cold )
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoons freshly ground pink peppercorns
  • 1/4 cup ice cold vodka
  • 2–4 tablespoons ice cold water

RASPBERRY RHUBARB FILLING

  • 2 cups chopped rhubarb
  • 2 cups raspberries
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 whole lemon (- zested & juiced)
  • 1 tablespoon tapioca flour

GLAZE

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons reserved fruit juice (- from filling)

Instructions

Pink Peppercorn All Butter Vodka Pie Dough

  1. Cut the butter into 1/4″ cubes and put back in the fridge or freezer to firm back up for a few minutes.
  2. Place the flour, sugar and salt and ground pink peppercorns in a mixing bowl with high sides and whisk together.
  3. If you have a food processor, you can use it to mix the pie dough. Place the flour mixture and cubed butter in food processor. Gently pulse until the flour changes from silky to mealy; this should only take a handful of pulses so watch it carefully. 

    Alternatively, you can mix the dough with a pastry blender or two butter knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until mealy.

  4. While pulsing, gently pour the vodka through the feed tube just until combined. At this point, I like to turn the crumbly dough into a large mixing bowl to check the hydration level of the dough by gathering a small fistful; if it holds together, it’s ready. If it is dry or crumbly, slowly add the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, using a pastry blender.
     
    If mixing by hand with a pastry blender or butter knives, keep cutting the dough until the it just holds together. 

    *Be careful to add only as much water as it takes to combine the dough into a ball or disk. The exact amount of water can vary depending upon the moisture content of the flour, the quality of the butter, and the weather. When it has the proper amount of water, the dough will come together without much effort or deliberate packing. If you need to add more water, make sure the ingredients are still cold.

  5. Form the dough into two square shaped disks and wrap them individually in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour before rolling and forming.

    *If you don’t plan on using the dough on the day you prepare it, you can store the dough in the freezer. This dough will last at least a couple of months if wrapped up tightly in the freezer. Defrost the frozen dough overnight in the fridge before using.

  6. Once your pie dough has chilled, on a lightly-floured counter, roll one disk into a rectangular shape, 1/8″-1/4″ thick.

    Using a ruler and a pizza cutter or knife, measure and cut the dough into 4” x 3” rectangles. Gather the dough scraps together, form a disk and re-roll, cut more rectangles.

  7. Transfer the rectangles to a lined baking sheet, and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. You should have 24 rectangles.

RASPBERRY RHUBARB FILLING

  1. Chop the rhubarb into 1/4″ -1/2″ chunks and place in a mixing bowl. Add the raspberries, zest and juice of one lemon, sprinkle with sugar and toss to coat. Allow the fruit to to sit for at least 15 minutes so the juices start to release from the fruit. 
  2. Strain out about 1/2 cup of the juices. Set aside 2-3 tablespoons of the juices. Then whisk the tapioca flour in with the remaining fruit juice to create a slurry. Pour the mixture back in with the fruit and toss to coat.

FORMING THE HAND PIES

  1. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator.  Spoon 1 – 2 tablespoons of the filling onto a pie dough rectangle, leaving a 1/4" edge all the way around. Lightly brush a small amount of cold water around the edges of the filled dough rectangle. Carefully lay another dough rectangle over the top of the filled dough rectangle and gently press and seal the edges together around the perimeter of each hand hand pie. Create a decorative edge by pressing the edges of the dough together with the back of a fork all the the way around. Repeat the process with remaining dough rectangles.
  2. Place the hand pies on a lined baking sheet and place in the freezer to chill for another 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
  4. Remove the chilled hand pies from the freezer. Whisk egg with a bit of water. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the hand pies with the egg wash.
  5. Bake until the hand pies are golden brown, about 20 – 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Allow to cool while you prepare the glaze.

GLAZE

  1. Sift the powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Whisk in the fruit juices, 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture runs off the whisk like molasses.
  2. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of glaze onto each hand pies, smoothing the glaze to the crimped edges with the back of the spoon or a small spatula. Allow the glaze to set before serving.
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies by Baking The Goods

Raspberry Rhubarb Pink Peppercorn Hand Pies by Baking The Goods.

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