Peanut butter & jelly hand pies

These flaky hand pies are stuffed with your childhood favorite - peanut butter and jelly - for National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day! 

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Today I'm celebrating this classic food combination with some of my blogging friends (check out all the recipes at the bottom of this post). 

My readers know I love making pies, and I've been meaning to add hand pie recipes to my blog for some time, now. This was the perfect way to do so! 

These hand pies are so fun - they are a great snack or dessert (and I'll fully admit that I've eaten one for a quick breakfast on the go as well). You can use any jelly or jam flavor(s) you want and you can use creamy or chunky peanut butter. 

The peanut butter in these is a thicker texture from the cream cheese - sort of like the filling of a peanut butter cup. I did not add any sugar to my pie crust or to my peanut butter, but if you want a slightly sweeter pie, you may add some or even a sprinkle of coarse sugar on top. 

This recipe will make approximately 10 hand pies.

Peanut butter & jelly hand pies
for the pie dough:*
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cubed
3 tablespoons vodka**, chilled
2-5 tablespoons ice water
1 large egg 

for the filling:
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup peanut butter (I used all natural smooth)
pinch of salt, if using unsalted peanut butter
about 1/3 cup of your favorite jelly (I used half strawberry and half grape)

First make the dough. In a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add in the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like a coarse sand. Pulse in the vodka and then slowly add the water while pulsing just until the dough comes together.

Break the dough into two equal halves and form them into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese and peanut butter and the salt, if using. In another small bowl, beat the egg with one tablespoon of water.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment or silicon baking mats.

Roll out the dough to about 1/4" thickness. Cut out circles that are 5" in diameter (I used a plastic food storage container to cut mine). Place just under 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture on one side of the crust along with 1-1/4 teaspoons of jelly. Brush the bottom half edge of the crust with the egg and fold over the top. Seal it with the tongs of a fork, trying to minimize any jelly leaks. Place on the baking sheet and repeat until all the dough has been used (I do often re-roll the scraps if needed to get another hand pie or two).

Use a sharp knife to cut two slits in the top of each pie. Brush each pie with the remaining egg wash. You can sprinkle on coarse sugar as well, if desired.

Bake for about 17-19 minutes, until golden. Remove the pies to wire racks and let cool completely before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container for a few days.

*Or you can use your favorite store bought pie crust or your favorite recipe for a double pie crust.

**Vodka will help create a flakier crust (I always keep a super cheap bottle around just for pie crusts) than using all water, but you may omit it and just use ice water.

National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day Recipes

• Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins by Kate’s Recipe Box
• PB & Marionberry J Fudge by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Hand Pies by Savory Moments
• PBJ Banana Bread by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• PB and J Fat Bombs by Our Good Life
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Pie by The Spiffy Cookie
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Bread Pudding by Cindy's Recipes and Writings