Fruit pie. Meat Pie. Veg Pie. I find it easy to love pie and it’s pastry that makes pie so lovable. Sure, pastry is good when pressed neatly into a fluted tart pan. In fact, a tart is the most elegant pie I know. However, pastry is just as delicious when treated casually – draped over a pot pie and gently crimped, glazed and scored. But, in my opinion, the best pastries are the little hand pies that verge on messiness. The kind of pie that toys with falling apart in your hands. These Carrot Muhammara Hand Pies have just the right crumble to defy knife and fork.
So pick one up and see why the best pies are the handheld sort. You can buy them on a street corner wrapped in brown paper and eat them on the run, or make them at home to serve with a special wine. Either way, hand pies are a treat. Fragrant, sweet, and savory these Carrot Muhammara Hand Pies have just the right ratio of crust to filling. They define that magic moment when tender crust meets sumptuous filling. The kind of pie that automatically leaves buttery fingers reaching for napkins and slick lips begging for more.
Carrot Muhammara Hand Pies
Of course, a savory hand pie can be filled with almost anything. I’m taking my cues from a chef Civan Er and Melissa Clark recipe that appeared in Clark’s cookbook Dinner. It was designed to be scooped up with pita bread. But what’s stopping you and your buttery fingers from turning this dip into an untraditional muhammara hand pie?
NOTE: Though muhammara is typically served as a dip or spread I felt the flavors and texture lent themselves nicely as a filling to these sweet and savory hand pies. The addition of carrot and ginger are not at all traditional but add a nice sweetness typical to muhammara. If you’d like a bit more sweetness the pomegranate molasses that is included in most recipes could be drizzled onto the warm pastry at
Carrot Muhammara & Goat Cheese Hand Pies
Print This Recipe Yield 12Source Muhammara adapted from Melissa ClarkPublishedThis recipe makes almost twice as much muhammara as you need for 12 hand pies. Serve the extra with flatbreads or pita toasts.
Ingredients
- pastry recipe of your choice
- 1 pound carrots (trimmed and sliced into ½‑inch thick rounds)
- 1 pound red bell peppers (stemmed, seeded and sliced)
- ½ cup olive oil (plus 2 tablespoons more for roasting)
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 clove garlic (peeled and minced)
- 1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
- 1 ½ cup walnut pieces (toasted and chopped )
- 1 pint kosher salt (plus more for sprinkling)
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (freshly toasted)
- 4 ounce fresh goat cheese roll (sliced into 6 rounds, then cut in half crosswise into 12 half-moons)
- 1 large egg yolk (mixed with a teaspoon water, as egg wash)
Directions
Prepare Pie Pastry recipe of your choice. Divide dough in half, shape into 2 discs about 5‑inches in diameter and 3/4‑inch thick. Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days), or freeze up to 1 month.
Make the muhammara filling: Preheat oven to 400 F.
On a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, toss the carrots and bell peppers with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange in as close to a single layer as possible. Roast in the heated oven until the peppers are charred and the carrots are browned and tender, about 35 to 40 minutes. Don’t be afraid to let them get some color on them. Set aside to cool somewhat.
Once cooled place the carrots, peppers, remaining ½ cup olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, ground cumin, smoked paprika, and about half of the walnuts In a food processor. Pulse until mixture is mostly smooth adding a dribble or two of water if the mixture seems too thick. Scrape the mixture into a bowl. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and add the remaining chopped walnuts and the whole, toasted cumin seeds. Stir to combine.
Make the hand pies: On a lightly floured surface, use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out one disc of chilled dough to a 12 or 13-inch round, a generous 1/8‑inch thick. Cut out six 4‑inch rounds, using a round cutter or appropriately-sized saucer and knife. Gather scraps and re-roll as needed so you can get six rounds. Repeat with the second disc of dough. Lay the 12 rounds out evenly spaced onto 1 or 2 parchment-lined baking sheets (as needed depending on size).
Bring the oven temperature to 425 F.
Dollop about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons muhammara filling onto each round mounding in the center, leaving a 3/4‑inch border all around. Don’t overfill or they will be difficult to seal. Lay one half-moon slice of goat cheese on top of filling, nestling it into the mixture. Brush edges lightly with egg wash. Carefully bring both sides up and towards the center so they meet at the top forming a football shape. Pinch edges together to seal. Then decoratively crimp or scallop edges as you like. Leave hand pie sitting with decorative edge facing up or lay it on its side, whichever you prefer. Brush with more egg wash. Sprinkle with salt. Make 2 tiny slashes in the crust with the point of a sharp knife. Repeat with remaining dough rounds. Refrigerate on the baking sheet(s) until chilled, about 20 minutes.
Bake in the heated oven, rotating sheets halfway through if necessary until pies are golden brown; about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
That beauty shot is stunning and it sounds as good as it looks (if that’s possible).
What a deliciously gorgeous idea!
I’m so behind on my Greg recipes! xo
We love hand pies and filling them with this beautiful, savory filling is brilliant! Perfect with a cup of tea or a hot bowl of soup. Well done!
What a lovely, relaxed little hand pie. I love that you used the carrot muhammara for the filling, quite inventive. The colour of these little pies is gorgeous. It’s a perfect snack or even finger food for a cocktail party. Do you think they would freeze well?
Hand pies are the best and I love that you turned a dip into a gorgeous filling.
Love muhammara — and would never have thought to use it in a hand pie, or any pie! Great idea Greg — beautiful photos, too.
I love these Carrot Muhammara Hand Pies! So colorful and creative. Great job Greg.
I’ve never had Muhammara in any form. I’m thinking a hand pie is a good place to start. The flavors sound fantastic!
THESE are so beautiful! I love the filling. I don’t think I’d even miss the goat cheese if it wasn’t in these, but I’m glad it is! You’re very talented with dough.
Yeah, pie. What more is there to say? Other than these looks terrific — love hand pies. And what a creative filling! Love the idea of using muhammara in a pie — very creative. Thanks.
Yes! I’m voting for the drizzle!
These sound fabulous! Love the idea of hand pies…and everything tastes so much better in a crust!