A few years ago, around the time of the global financial crisis, I started thinking of ways to make money. My consulting job in advertising had pretty much stopped as clients suddenly stretched their arms across their desk, held down all of their papers and literally froze everything. I remember that there was a sunny weekend and Mr NQN and I were having a picnic. He was lying down on his stomach reading a book on the sun dappled grass. I rested my head against his bottom.
“Oh this is so comfortable!” I said resting on his derrière, moving about and switching positions. Mr NQN is a tall, thin gangly man and there’s very little fat to be had on him. Then a thought struck me.
“I know what we can do!” I sat up inspired. “I’ll make a bottom pillow! Shaped like your bottom!”
Mr NQN’s expression was a familiar one. It read in no uncertain terms “Oh crap, here she goes again…” but just in case I was serious, there was a forbidding look added in for good measure.
“We can dip your bottom in some plaster of Paris and make a mold, just like those plaster casts and we can stuff the pillow with all sorts of fillings. Your ass will be famous!” I said, fired up with inspiration.
“No” he said. “I’m not dipping my ass in plaster and you’re not making a pillow out of it” he said sternly. “I don’t want a famous ass” he said putting to rest an idea before it had even been truly brainstormed.
Dejectedly, I consoled myself with a piece of picnic quiche; my dreams of making a fortune through the good fortune of my husband’s perfectly rounded bottom quashed (the dreams, not the bottom). The quiche that I turned to eat was the perfect picnic quiche recipe that a friend M gave me. It is a buttery crusted quiche with a secret weapon in the pastry-cream cheese!
This is perhaps my favourite pastry to make at home. It’s buttery and layered and if you get one of these a few minutes out of the oven, the first thing you may think of is a buttery version of a McDonalds apple pie (is that good or bad thing? But rest assured, it returns to being just a divine pastry). It is easy to work with and you can even reroll it in the same session without resting it. And just this week, given the glut of strawberries at the markets, I thought I’d make Strawberry Hand Pies.
A hand pie is a Southern version of a pastie or a turnover and is simply a pie in a half moon shape. They can be baked, fried or deep fried and filled with either a sweet or savoury topping. It is ideal for lunches or picnics as it is easily transported. You know I sometimes get pushy for you darling readers to make things and I’m afraid that this is one of those recipes (perhaps I should start a category of “pushy” recipes for the ones that I really urge readers to make! 
). Also, if you’ve never made pastry from scratch, I suggest that you start with this the one because it is a dream to work with and it will help build confidence in pastry making. It’s a dream to eat too, as witnessed by the fact that I polished off three and a half before palming a couple of them off to a happyMr NQN. I then shoved the rest in the deep freeze, out of trouble.
So tell me Dear Reader, have you ever made pastry from scratch before? And what recipe or skill would you like to master (perhaps I can do a post to assist 
). What’s your favourite fruit pie filling? And have you ever had any hare-brained ideas to make money?
P.S. Here is a Wallpaper for Wallpaper Wednesday! xxx
Sweet Li’l Strawberry Hand Pies
An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella
Preparation time: 5 minutes for pastry, 10 minutes for filling
Waiting time (although you can make the filling while waiting): 45-60 minutes
Baking time: 25 minutes
Makes about 10 pies using a 12cm/5inch round pastry cutter
- 120g/4 ozs light cream cheese at room temperature (yes light will definitely do)
- 113g/1 stick room temperature butter
- 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups plain flour
- pinch of salt
Filling
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cornflour mixed with 1.5 tablespoons cold water
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1 tablespoon icing or confectioners sugar (optional)
1. Place the cream cheese, butter and 1 1/4 cups of plain flour into a food processor and pulse until it becomes fine crumbs and starts to come together. Knead it to form a dough- there should be enough butter and cream cheese in there to have it come together but add a little more of the flour if you need it; I usually need to add another 2 tablespoons or so. Roll into a ball and press into a circle -as flat as you can get it to make rolling it easier, and cover with cling wrap and place in the refrigerator for 45-60 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the strawberry filling because you will want it to cool before filling the pies. Wash the strawberries and hull them and chop them into small, even-ish sized pieces. In a saucepan on medium heat, add the strawberries and white sugar and simmer-you shouldn’t need any extra liquid as the strawberries release plenty but just stir it to make sure that the sugar doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the strawberries are soft. Then remove from heat and add the vanilla and cinnamon. Then while the mixture is still hot but not boiling, add the cornflour and cold water mixture stirring to thicken it (you don’t want to do this while it is boiling as the cornflour splits and doesn’t thicken it properly). Allow to cool.
3. When the pastry is ready, preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a baking tray with parchment. Remove the pastry from the fridge and flour a clean surface and rolling pin. Roll out the pastry quite thinly and cut using a 12cm/5 inch round pastry cutter that has been dipped in flour. Fill each pie with a tablespoon of cooled filling and pinch to seal up the sides.
4. Brush the egg over the tops of the pies and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Dust with icing sugar.
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102 Comments | Add your own
Pretty. Those hand pies must be really enjoyable.
cheers,
Rosa
you know, there’s a woman in New York who did a similar thing with rock stars re” plaster de paris. Similar I say…. these look beautiful
Good morning Lorraine, another beautiful recipe and fun tale to accompany it. Curiously, while I have made pastry, I am not so terribly fond of it. Very rarely do I crave or eat it. Well made pastry is good, though, so I applaud your recipe. Hair brained money making ideas? Not that I can think of… but give me time. ; D
Mmmmm.. delicious hand pies!! I love how you’ve made it so easily
these look absolutely gorgeous!! i like the shape of the turnovers, they look so cute!!
Hey you can be pushy as these look divine and you make it look really simple:)
Yes, macarons (bought the almond meal and now need the time and lots of luck!), apple and cinnamon and not recently haha so many questions today.
I love making my own puff pastry and have finally ‘mastered’ croissants & danish dough……thankyou Adriano Zumbo. Friends and family think I am nuts but I find pastry making therapeutic!
What a hilarious story! A bottom pillow – I love it. I also love these hand pies. Gorgeous!
Hi Angela! I have a macaron recipe here that is very reliable
It’s from Baroque patisserie! http://www.notquitenigella.com/2010/06/30/salted-caramel-macarons-a-macaron-masterclass-at-baroque-bistro/ I hope that helps! 
x
OMG – I am so making these for my Father in laws 80th Birthday this weekend!
These look delish, and I love the name “hand pie” – so very apt.
I haven’t made pastry for years but it is about time I got back into it. Pies and tarts are appreciated by everybody. I say cupcakes are over and I am moving on to tarts. The strawberry glut has been good to me
What a funny story and I think it would have been a great idea. Oh well, you may have ended uP with women all over the world hunting down your husbands ass!
Your hand pie sounds amazing and those strawberries look beautiful. This will be a fun recipe to try.
Lorraine, you are outrageous!!!!I can’t believe you wrote that!! HAHAHAHAHAA!! Thanks for giving me a nice laugh first thing in the evening. And those lovely pastries too!!
**Still laughing**
Morning Lorraine
Hahaha i totally cracked up laughing this post about the bottom pillow and if you say Mr NQN is such a skinny man lol I don’t think he’ll have a very voluminous bottom ~ But very creative of you to think so!
Ohhhh i’ve never seen a pastry that uses cream cheese! I can’t wait to try this recipe! I still have 1 kg of cream cheese at home hehe~ I’ve only ever really made butter short crust but it wasn’t that nice… would love if you could please do a post about puff pastry and maybe mille fuielle
These look gorgeous and rich!
Hi Daisy! Here is an awesome puff pastry recipe and it works beautifully! If you have a look at the Julia Child video about the turns, it makes it so much easier to understand too
http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/09/27/quails-eggs-asparagus-vol-au-vents-daring-bakers-september-2009-challenge/ x
Big Yum!! No need to push me … I will definitely be making these on the weekend
I have made pastry before … My mums recipe with sour cream rolled into delicate morsels filled with tangy plum jam and ground walnut dusted in vanillin sugar.
I would really love to know how to make home made filo for Burek or spanakopita.
Thank you for another delectable post
HI Ladybugfunk! I haven’t made burek or spanakopita but I have made filo pastry and it was surprisingly easy (I thought that it would be really crazy hard). Here’s the recipe!
http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/05/26/cherry-cheese-coconut-strudel-daring-bakers-may-2009-challenge/ x
I am now really curious about your husband’s bottom.
These look so very moreish!!! YUM!
It’s not the worst idea I’ve ever heard of. My friends and I used to come up with all sorts of ideas to make money. We made necklaces, jewelery stands, imported stuff from China and sold it at the markets, painted, made dresses. The only thing we didn’t make was money!
Maybe we would have made a few bucks if we’d made little pies instead?!
This is absolutely perfect! I have been looking for a quick and easy dessert recipe to make for my guests tonight and this is just the one! It looks delicious Lorraine
thank you!
Mmm, sounds like it would be like an extra fruity, lovely, sweet, jam turnover.
Can you tell I haven’t had breakfast yet?
Oh my gosh L, what a way to start the morning, must wipe the drool off!!! Sublime looking turnovers/pasties. I would love to master a gluten free bread that didn’t contain soy flour, yeast or guar gum and would taste just like normal loaf bread does – Noone has ever been able to achieve it and trust me… I’ve tried. That and pastry oh and my all time favourite, popcorn chicken – Just like kfc but, homemade. Have made a few variations and it’s never quite come out the same, still tasty though. I’m not coeliac but, I do feel 100 times better on a gluten free diet – My only setback is not having great bread with my sandwiches which I love to eat regularly. The only thing that has come close are, arepas from Venezuela and Colombia, yummm. I once offered to be a paid dog walker in my local area.
When I was younger I used to get heaps of lollies and sweet treats in my Santa stocking. One year when I was 8 I had a brilliant idea. As I was never much into lollies or packaged sweets (more of a homemade pies & cakes kind of girl) I tried to sell my unwanted Santa treats to my neighbours. Needless to say I didn’t have too many takers.
HI Gaby! Ahh yes gf bread that’s just like the original. Alas I haven’t come across one yet in my travels but if I do, I’ll be sure to post it!
x
These look amazingly yummo! Yes, I have made pastry before and have found it quite easy to do following a simple Jamie Oliver recipe – works a treat every time.
I would love help with lasagne – I am terrible at it!
These remind me with great nostalgia of my Southern Grandmother’s hand pies, peach and apple. I love to make pastry and cream cheese is a favorite addition, but I never thought to pair it with hand pies!
I think you should make those pillows!
hehehe your story is super funny, and an incredible coincidence as I just read the book
“I need a new bum”!
(http://librointernational.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/new-bum-on-tour.html)
And of course super yummy pies too
Ciao
Alessandra
They look absolutely delish! I’m not a huge fruit pie lover, but anything with rhubarb is good in my books. I’m thinking more along savoury lines for these little treats…….yummmmm!
Charmed immediately at the sight of these lovelies. I’m taken to summer, nostalgic picnics, daydreaming and imagining you dreaming up ideas in Mr NQNs derrière. So funny you… So talented… Love the idea of cream cheese in the pastry. I’ll try this very soon. Thanks Lorraine…
Lovely strawberry pastries. I must try soon. Love the imagery of a summer picnic daydreaming on Mr NQNs derrière.
Seeing as I am A) currently unemployed, and B) in possession of the famed rounded “Terry bottom” (famed in my family, at least), can I offer myself for your plan, if I get royalties to live on from your astronomical sales of the pillow?
Hi Hannah! Deal, we’ll go into production when you get back
LOL @ Mr NQN. Who doesnt want their ass to be famous
???
These look delicious! I lurve strawberries!
How gorgeous, and versatile! And I have leftover cream cheese in the fridge at the moment – perfect!
Awww so cute Lorraine. I love apple filled pies but I’ve for some reason never thought of making strawberry ones. I’d love to try this recipe – and it looks nice and simple, another winner from NQN
Hi Matilda! Oh I remember those apple turnovers!
With mock cream no less 
And I’ve made croissant buns and you use the same dough to shape the croissants. I’d love to know what you think of this recipe! 
x http://www.notquitenigella.com/2011/09/27/croissant-morning-buns/
Cherries! Then apricots, then plums… all are my favorite pastry fillings.
Which pastry I want to master? Well, still puff pastry (I made it twice and can’t say I had it. No, I still don’t feel that dough!). The croissant, I want to learn how to make croissants the Parisian way: airy, flaky, heavenly delicious!
Oh these do look good and Mr NQN is such an unreasonable beast isn’t he. Who wouldn’t want to strip down under harsh lighting and have your arse caressed with POP. Thank you for telling me what a stick of butter is! I read all these US blogs and they’re all talking about sticks. I had no idea what a stick weighs! xx
LOVE your pie inspiration, TRUE!
Your photos make me salivate too!
Always looking for my next food challenge technique or recipe!
Checkerboard Cake and Designer Fashion Accessories or Furniture Cakes has always escaped me!
HI Joanne! Oh yes a furniture cake would be the ultimate wouldn’t it? I’d love to do one of those!
x
FOODGASM! These look SO GOOD.
Beautiful! Oh and I love the sound of pushy recipes xo
They look fabulous! I’d have bought a Mr NQN ass-shaped-pillow, please make sure you let him know that.
Lorraine you’ve done it again!!!Yes, I’ve made Puff and Shrot crust from scratch in my Cookery course.We made Danish pastries afterwards & distributed to all our relo’s who ‘ooh’d & aaah’d’ over them. a bit on the fattening scale though!I’ve always wanted my own little sweet & savoury stall at the local markets.Still waiting to happen! I’ma gonna make these little beauties today though! You’ve put me in the mood! thanks!
Mmmm…these look absolutely delicious and I have a huge amount of strawberries at home as well!
Haha true story – I’ve been telling my husband for years that my idea of making “nose-hats” (you know because your nose gets freezing in winter and you don’t want to cover your whole face??) could be a world-wide seller if only someone would listen.
I’m sure Mr NQN is thrilled that all your readers are now imagining his soft pillow bottom
Oh yum I love the idea of the pastry. My favorite pie filling anything involves berrys
But that was such an AWESOME idea! You gotta catch his butt while he’s asleep! Haha – love your crazy ideas
These strawberry hand pies sound so fun, like a portable, utensil-less strawberry pie – yum!
Mmmm…yes please…for breakfast, with cream xxx
I make hand pies all the time. I make them tiny. Two bites. Favorite is blackberry, then apple, also shallot blackberry with fig jam for a twist. But, have not done strawberries. Great idea, Lorriane, as I have smashed strawberries in freezer that we picked earlier this year and I need to get to using them.
In Tennessee we just called these fried pies. I just love them.
The thought of buying a pillow shaped from your husband’s bum would make me feel guilty lying my head on it.
Obviously, you and I are the opposites in our respective relationships. LOL It’s usually my husband, with eyes wide, who blurts out suddenly, “I have an idea!” with me cringing, “Oh gawd, what is it this time?!?” Too funny!
how pretty are these hand pies! I love the cream cheese filling. it sounds heavenly. we are out of strawberries now but I do have a stack of fresh blueberries in my freezer.
Mmmm nothing like a classy little hand pie
Love it!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
You know what these remind me of? Malaysian curry puff (the shape esp). Have u had them before?
Hi Baby Sumo! I have, I love them although it’s been ages since my mother made some!
x
What beautiful little pies! They look like the most perfect miniature pasties
Oh, these look totally delightful – and they’d be perfect to pair with some vanilla ice cream for a magnificent dessert.
I’m a sucker for apple pies, really; but if I’m baking ‘em, fruit pies are best made with a mix of ripe mangoes and peaches with a nip of nutmeg.
I have made pastry from scratch! It is surprisingly easy and so much nicer than the prepared stuff. I still cheated the last time I made mulberry pies though!
Looks good.. Reminds me of an empanada!
Ha! Yes my partner says that to me too, about making a pillow from my butt lol How funny! I love making mini pies like this, I made some before with rhubarb and froze them and gave them as gifts.
I have to try this! How I wish I could come up with a clever idea to make money
so I decided to be quiet after my awful typo last week (sorry again), but I have to break my silence and say these pies look so Fabulous, will try at the weekend for sure. Hmmmm, recipe requests…..Turkish bread? Can’t find a decent recipe that works, and it’s not cheap to buy but I’m sure it can’t be too hard?
Hi Gin-Tonic! Your typo ended up being quite hilarious so no need to be embarrassed
Let me try to devise a Turkish bread recipe for you! 
x
I’m a sucker for all things pastry. I just have an affinity with tarts and pies.
I love the look of these! they look like strawberry dumplings! So beautiful! i wish I could be in the kitchen and baking these right now!
Strawberries and pastry is like a dream to me. Otherwise, I’ll go with a old-fashioned apple pie/crumble/tart.
I know that look all too well, Lorraine! So many of my ideas squashed even before they’ve had a chance. There is one I’m still stinging about, but you never know…I may just do it anyway!
These little pies look divine.
Fortunately the Internet is stable here in Barcelona! Sadly it’s raining today, but we’re heading off to explore anyway.
Yum. Waiting for dinner to cook and DH to get home and this has made me hungrier than I’ve been in ages.
I’m relaxed about making my own pastry. I have very cold hands so find it okay by hand, but with a machine it is even better. Challenge sometimes is to get it rolled thinly enough and able to lift it off the rolling surface.
Will definitely try this pastry recipe: I have not yet completely mastered the process yet, so my outcome is always a question mark. When a post starts with Mr. NQN’s worried look, I know we are in for a good story!
Ooh they look like strawberry-filled curry puffs! What a wonderful way to cook strawberries, especially since they’re in season and so cheap at the moment!
What a nice version of dumplings
Bee-ut-iful. A hand pie perfect for eating two or three…..
A bottom pillow – I love it! Also love the look of these strawberry pies.
They look beautiful. I’m constantly making sweet and savoury shortcrust pastry as once you get the hang of it, it becomes very easy to make and far superior in taste. My next challenge will be to try and make puff pastry from scratch. Has anyone done that before?
Hi Robbie! You’re in luck!
Here’s an awesome puff pastry recipe that rises high 
Just make sure to watch the Julia Child video first though: http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/09/27/quails-eggs-asparagus-vol-au-vents-daring-bakers-september-2009-challenge/ x
I made these tonight, my first time making pastry and it was SO easy and super delicious! Your recipe will be on high rotation in this kitchen from now on!
Hi Jess! YAY I’m so glad that it was a success for you! I’m tempted to make a batch tomorrow (or even tonight hehe!
).
Yummo, love small sweets, don’t feel so guilty about eating them but having said that,I’d probably go back for another!They remind me of Apple Turnovers with mock cream that were all the rage way back then, lol.Somehow this week I’ve managed to end up with four punnets of not-so-sweet strawberries so this is a good way to use them up. Love to make pastry, it’s very therapeutic for me. Yesterday, youngest daughter asked two of her friends over for dinner and for dessert I made a Lime Brulee Tart, adapted from a SBS Food recipe. It’s divine!
Still haven’t mastered croissants, real croissants not the rubbery imitations found in supermarkets but the real deal!Maybe a step-by-step post or better still, hire a large warehouse and we could have a Masterclass with you Lorraine!
Funny story re: Mr.NQN’s derriere.
I have never made pastry from scratch. I am saving this recipe in my favourites to make at some stage soon! It looks divine and those strawberries so delicious! I love your idea of making a “pushy” folder…do it!
these look heavenly and I am tempted because strawberries are begging to be bought at the moment – I was sure you were working up to comparing them to Mr NQN’s bottom in the story and was glad you didn’t – the pastry sounds great too
I actually made apple pies, like a strudel type but it never looks like yours up there..My mouth is watering just by looking at your pictures!
How pretty and delicious! And you sound like you were talking to me. Nope, I’ve never made pastry from scratch. Sounds like this is the one I must start with. So unlike gyoza which requires pleating , you just press the edges with finger? Your each pastry sheet looks so perfect and rolled out so smoothly… You will be surprised to see my dough that I rolled out. It’s ugly! =P You inspired me to make these!
They look incredibly tasty!
I was about to say I haven’t made pastry from scratch before but then I remembered the lattice raspberry pies I made many years ago … I will definitely be trying my hands at this pastry but I think I may now have to find the old one as well … thanks for the inspiration!
haha you’re so cute
I’ve made pie crusts, absolutely. Love it. But part of me also realises that there is really good pastry out there – nice to skip that hard work sometimes! These are far too adorable 
Heidi xo
Wish I could reach in and grab one. The best strawberries are gone for the year. Maybe I’ll have to pop down under for a strawberry pie. xoxo Mum
My friend had her pregnant belly and boobs modeled in plaster and it actually makes a lovely art work in her home. I’m sure an ass pillow would be a huge success, Mr NQN is quite unreasonable…. Perhaps you could model him when he’s sleeping? It would be our little secret!
Love this recipe indeed, I will certainly be making them for my family-yummo!
Pastry making is therapeutic! But I have no troubles reaching out for a good store-bought pastry too especially when I need to make treats like these!
I made these yesterday! BEST STRAWBERRY PIES EVER! Ive never heard of cream cheese in the dough but it was quite amazing!
Hi Eileen! Thank you so much and I’m so glad that you liked them! I know, I was the same when I first tried my friend’s pastry-I just had to get her recipe!
Haha, I love your pillow idea…but I have to say, I don’t blame Mr NQN for not wanting a famous tushie, lol! You two are adorable.
Oh lord, do these little beauties look divine! Strawberries are out of season here now, but I’m imagining a spiced pear filling in your gorgeous pastry crust.
These look lovely and sound lovely. Nothing nicer than a pie in the hand, (and the secret is well and truly in the pastry!)
i’ve only made a cream cheese crust once before, and it didn’t look nearly as scrumptious as yours! great hand pies!
they look so sweet and delicious!
I’m bookmarking this one for when my peach tree starts producing fruit
And hare-brained ideas for raising money? Yeah i’ve had a few
These photos are amazing, especially the second one…it’s dreamy:) I am going to pin this recipe. I have made homemade pastry, even hand pies, but these look way too good to pass up!
My mom claims that she had the idea to sell 10-cent hamburgers before McDonald’s came along, but my dad would not go for it:)
OMG these look delish! So printing up this recipe.
I’ve made a few pastries from scratch, yet to attempt puff though.
These look beatiful Lorraine I love how pale the pastry is!
Apple & Cinnamon are still my favuorite pie filling.
These look amazing! Can you assemble the pies earlier in the day and leave them refridgerated before baking them later at night?
Looks great! If i want to make this savoury, i suppose you don’t ad the sugar?
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