There are many things I love about this recipe.
The crust, to start with. It's tender and flaky, and so, so incredibly easy. I try not to gush about food too often, but this crust really is something, people. You can make it in 1 minute flat. There's no cutting in of butter, no chilling, no fraisage. (If you don't know what that means, good for you. Although who knows, I might talk about that in a recipe one day.) It's made with vegetable oil instead of butter, but it is just as flaky and flavorful.
And then there's the filling, which is so incredibly easy and versatile. I mean, they're filled. with. Nutella. It doesn't get better than that. (By the way, happy Nutella Day!) Just add a dollop of Nutella and any other add-ins you want. I added a slice of banana to each pie, but you could do lots of different kinds of fruit.
Plus there's just their sheer cuteness. I might have said this before, but I love. mini. desserts. These pies would make a perfect treat for Valentine's Day.
All in all, these pies are pretty irresistible. In the words of my roommate, 4 out of 4 roommates agree that these pies are delicious. (And that includes the one that doesn't like chocolate. I know. Please feel sorry for me.)
Anyways, give these a try sometimes, and happy Nutella Day!
-Caroline
P.S. Many thanks to Sara from Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle from Bleeding Espresso for hosting World Nutella Day!
Nutella Hand Pies
Yields 12-15 Hand Pies
Ingredients
For the Crust
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
⅔ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup cold water
For the Filling
⅓ cup Nutella
1 medium ripe banana, sliced (⅓ cup sliced strawberries or blueberries would also work)
Assembly
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup raw sugar (see notes)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Make the crust. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the vegetable oil and water and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface. Cut out heart shapes with a cookie cutter.
Place half of the hearts on an ungreased baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between each.
Place about 2 teaspoons of Nutella on the hearts. Place a slice of banana on top of the Nutella (or a slice of strawberries or 3-4 blueberries.)
Cover each of the hearts with the remaining hearts. Seal the edges of the hearts by pressing with a fork. Brush the tops of the pies with the egg, and sprinkle with the raw sugar.
Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until the pies are golden brown.
Let cool and serve.