Despite what you heard growing up, sometimes it’s ok to eat with your hands! Handheld pies are convenient, and they’re lots of fun for the kids. What a great way to feed your family the goodness of squash, mushrooms, and onions. It’s a meatless alternative to classic handheld pies that delivers on taste and wellness.
Yield: 9 individual pies
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients:
For the filling:
- 43 g / 3 tbsp Mirage margarine, melted
- 3 g / ½ tsp salt
- 3 g / ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 g / ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 g / ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 564 g / 4 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ½ inch chunks
- 227 g / 3 cups button mushrooms, cut into 1/4“ thick slices
- 187 g / 1½ cups / 1 large spanish onion, diced into medium-size pieces
- 3 g / 1 tbsp fresh thyme, roughly chopped
For the pastry:
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg
- 15 ml / 1 tbsp water
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted Mirage margarine with the salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and nutmeg.
3. Add the butternut squash, mushrooms, and onions. Toss to evenly coat the vegetables with the Mirage margarine.
4. Spread onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into the oven to roast; 35 to 40 minutes. Stir and rotate pan halfway through the cooking time. Roast until butternut squash starts to caramelize. Remove from oven and carefully transfer the hot vegetables into a large bowl, toss with the fresh thyme; allow to cool completely.
5. Reduce oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Whisk together the egg and water. Set aside until needed.
7. On a lightly floured surface, gently roll puff pastry to a 12 x 12 inch square. With a metal 4-inch cookie cutter, cut out 9 circles from each sheet, for 18 circles total. With a small round cookie cutter or a paring knife cut out a small vent in the middle of 9 of the circles.
8. Place the 9 whole circles onto the prepared baking sheet. Place about ⅓ cup of the filling (about 52 g) onto the rounds. Brush the edge of each circle with the egg wash
9. Place the second round, with the vent, over the filling. Press the edges together and crimp with a fork. With a pastry brush, brush entire surface of each pie lightly with the egg wash.
10. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops are deep golden in colour. Allow to cool slightly. Serve immediately.
Chefs Notes:
- The filling can be made the day before for easy preparation.
- If the puff pastry is getting too soft to work with, place onto a baking sheet, covered with plastic wrap, into the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold. Great as a snack, appetizer, or a to-go lunch.
