Cranberry-pomegranate hand pies

There’s no fuss, just fun, when it comes to making these pies, Hughes says. “You can crimp them with a fork. You can press the edges. You can make cute little designs when you’re venting them.”

Ingredients

Crust
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more to dust
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
7 to 8 tbsp. ice water

Filling and glaze
2 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup
hot water
1 cup fresh or frozen pomegranate arils
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1 egg whisked with 1 tbsp. water
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

For pie crust, combine flour, 1 tsp. sugar and salt and mix well. Transfer to a food processor. Add cubed butter and pulse mixture until coarse crumbs form. Gradually add ice water and pulse just until a dough begins to form. Transfer to a clean work surface and gather dough together into a ball. (Do not knead.) Divide dough in half and flatten to form 2 discs. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour before using.

For filling, combine cranberries and 3/4 cup sugar. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce slightly. Add cornstarch mixture and stir until combined. Add pomegranate arils and cardamom. Stir until combined. Cook on low heat until thickened. Let cool.

To assemble, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a flour-dusted surface. Cut out circles with a 5-inch cookie cutter. Combine scraps, roll again and cut out more circles. Place 1/3 cup of the filling in the center of a crust circle. Brush edges with egg wash and fold over. Crimp edges with fork to seal. Brush tops with egg wash. Cut a slit in top of crust to vent.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Transfer pies to baking sheets. Cover and refrigerate while oven preheats. Bake until pies are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let pies cool on rack. Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and water to get a consistency of heavy cream. Glaze pies. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Serves 8