Potato Onion Hand Pies

Name: Potato Onion Hand Pies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp unsalted vegan butter; 1 medium yellow onion (, finely diced); 1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary; 3/4 tsp sea salt (, divided plus more to taste); 1/2 tsp finely chopped thyme; 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper; 250 g Yukon Gold potatoes (, peeled and cubed into 2cm pieces); 1/2 rosemary sprig; 1 bay leaf; 1 garlic clove (, peeled); 2 tbsp sliced green onion; 2 tbsp unsweetened soy milk (, divived); 400 g puff pastry (, thawed (I like Tenderflake)); 1 tbsp maple syrup; Sesame seeds (, for garnish)

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Fall, Winter, Christmas/Thanksgiving, Canadian inspired, Puff Pastry

GF NF RSF

1 hour Prep: 15 mins Cook: 45 mins

Serves 12

These dainty, flaky, and buttery hand pies are stuffed with creamy mashed potatoes, caramelized onion and festive herbs. They are wonderful eaten as appetizers or served during any holiday celebration!

Ingredients

1 tbsp unsalted vegan butter
1 medium yellow onion , finely diced
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 tsp sea salt , divided plus more to taste
1/2 tsp finely chopped thyme
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
250 g Yukon Gold potatoes , peeled and cubed into 2cm pieces
1/2 rosemary sprig
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove , peeled
2 tbsp sliced green onion
2 tbsp unsweetened soy milk , divived
400 g puff pastry , thawed (I like Tenderflake)
1 tbsp maple syrup
Sesame seeds , for garnish

Prepare the Potato Filling

Step 1
Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Melt vegan butter and add diced onion.
Step 2
Cook, stirring regularly, until the onion is golden and starting to caramelize, about 15 minutes.
Step 3
Season with rosemary, ¼ teaspoon of sea salt, thyme, and black pepper. Stir and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Remove from the heat to prepare the potatoes.
Step 4
To a saucepan, add cubed potatoes, rosemary sprig, bay leaf, garlic clove, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of sea salt. Cover with water. Put the lid on and bring to a boil.
Step 5
Decrease heat to medium and continue cooking, with the lid partially covering the saucepan for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Step 6
Drain, remove the bay leaf and as much rosemary as possible, and return to the saucepan. Mash until smooth to your desired consistency.
Step 7
Add in the cooled caramelized onion mixture, sliced green onion and 1 tablespoon of soy milk. Taste and adjust salt and pepper levels to your liking, if desired.
Step 8
Let cool while you prepare the puff pastry.

Prepare the Puff Pastry & Assemble

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2
Dust a clean work surface with flour.
Step 3
Roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle of about 1-2 millimeters thick.
Step 4
Using a cookie cutter, cut 24 puff pastry circles of 8 centimeters wide. You might need to gather the excess pieces of puff pastry to roll out the dough again and cut out a few extra circles.
Step 5
Transfer 12 of the circles onto your parchment-lined baking sheet. These will be the base of your hand pies.
Step 6
Divide the potato mixture between the puff pastry rounds, leaving about 1 centimeter of space all around the filling.
Step 7
Use your finger to brush the outside rim with water.
Step 8
Cover the potato filling with another round of puff pastry, gently pressing on the edges to help them stick together. Use a fork to crimp the edges.
Step 9
Poke a small hole in the middle of each hand pie.
Step 10
Mix together the remaining 1 tablespoon of soy milk with the maple syrup.
Step 11
Brush this mixture onto each pie and garnish with sesame seeds.
Step 12
Bake for 15 minutes. Increase the heat to 500ºF and broil for 1-2 minutes to add some color to your hand pies. Enjoy immediately.
Step 13
Store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven at 400ºF for 5 minutes.

Common Questions & Swaps

Can I use salted vegan butter? Yes, absolutely, just make sure to taste your mashed potatoes before seasoning them some more with salt and season gradually.
Can I use another variety of potato? Yes, I would recommend Russet potatoes in this recipe. They are more starchy than Yukon Gold but mash very well. If you find that your filling is a little too dry for your taste, add an extra tablespoon of vegan butter.
Can I use another milk instead of soy? Yes any unsweetened dairy free milk will do.

Potato Onion Hand Pies sliced in half with filling shown

Recipe created in the context of an Instagram partnership with Giant Tiger.

Can you believe that we are already in October?!

And you know what that means right… Time for holiday recipes.

Although I love summer’s abundance of produce, there is something so comforting about the fall. All the warm spices, baked goods, hearty meals, changing colors, and holiday gatherings make this season one of my favorite ones.

These hand pies are wonderful for the holiday season coming up as they are quite easy to make (you do not have to make the puff pastry yourself!), feature affordable ingredients, and are a fun appetizer or amuse bouche to serve your guests at Thanksgiving or Christmas.

The filling of these beauties is made with Yukon Gold potatoes, caramelized yellow onions, green onions, and classic holiday herbs : rosemary and thyme. They are all held together by flaky puff pastry, which adds richness and a wonderful texture to the mashed potatoes.

When it comes to the ingredients used in this recipe, below are the ones I used. For any modifications, refer to the Swaps & Comments section.

Unsalted Vegan Butter: I used it to caramelize my onions and infuse a little richness to the mashed potatoes

Yellow onion: Onions are always a great way to add another layer of flavour to virtually any savoury dish. When caramelized, their sweet flavour is even more pronounced and complements well the mashed potatoes.

Rosemary & Thyme: Two classic holiday herbs that infuse their festive and herbaceous flavours into the mashed potatoes.

Salt and pepper: Both seasonings are used to round up all the flavours together.

Green onions: I chose to use them in this recipe to add a bit of brightness and onion flavour to the mashed potatoes. They also bring a bit of extra texture to the filling.

Soy milk: I used it to add extra creaminess to the mashed potatoes as well as mixed with the maple syrup to give my hand pies a nice glaze.

Dairy free puff pastry: Tenderflake’s puff pastry has been my go to for years now. It is vegan and works in both savoury and sweet dishes alike. In this recipe it is what holds these hand pies together, while bringing a wonderful flaky and crispy texture to this appetizer.

These potato onion hand pies were seriously addictive! Seriously, we are just two at home and these were gone in less than 24 hours. If you are serving a big crowd, double or triple the recipe because it is a guaranteed hit!

If you end up making this recipe, don’t hesitate to share about it on Instagram, make sure to tag me (@muriellebanackissa).

Have a wonderful week my friends!