Ghost Pepper Chicken Hand Pies

Ingredients

For the pie crust:

• 16 ounces all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
• ½ cup chilled water plus 2 – 3 Tablespoons more, if needed
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

For the filling:

• 1 pound cooked and shredded chicken
• 3 Tablespoons Stonewall Kitchen Ghost Pepper Salsa, plus extra for dipping

To assemble:

• Stonewall Kitchen Ghost Pepper Queso
• 1 egg yolk

Directions

1. Place the flour and salt together in a bowl. Whisk to combine well.
2. Add the butter, and rub it into the flour using your fingers (or in a food processor), until the flour-butter mix resembles coarse crumbs (or wet coarse sand), with some pea-sized butter chunks still left in the flour mix.
3. If you used a food processor to mix the butter and flour, transfer the flour-butter mix back into a large bowl.
4. Mix ¼ cup of the ice water with the vinegar and egg. Whisk to combine.
5. Make a well in the middle of the flour mix. Add the water-yolk mix and use a fork or your fingers to distribute the liquid through the flour. Add another ¼ cup of water (in increments), until all the liquid is fully incorporated in the flour.
6. Next, use your hands to knead the dough to form a dough ball.
7. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and flatten it into a rectangle shape. Fold the dough into thirds, to form 3 layers. Gently press the dough into another rectangle shape and repeat the folding one more time.
8. Next, form a disc with the pastry dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. If you make the dough the day before and the dough is chilled, let the dough soften slightly at room temperature.
9. Combine the shredded chicken and Ghost Pepper Salsa thoroughly.
10. When you’re ready to make the pies, preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking tray or half sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside until needed.
11. Roll out the chilled pie dough on a lightly floured smooth surface, until the dough is about 1/8 inch thick.
12. Cut as many pumpkin shapes as possible, you can reroll the scraps and cut additional pumpkins. Create faces on half of the pumpkin shapes using small shape cutters or a knife.
13. On each pumpkin shape without a face cut out, dollop a small spoonful of Ghost Pepper Queso then cover with a large spoonful of the chicken mixture. Moisten the edges of the pumpkin shape with cold water, then lay a pumpkin with a face cut out over the chicken. Press the edges together and crimp with a fork.
14. Place the filled pies on the parchment-lined sheet pan with the face side up. Brush with egg wash and bake for 22- 28 minutes, or until golden brown.
15. Serve hot with more Ghost Pepper Salsa and Ghost Pepper Queso for dipping.

Photos and Recipe Courtesy of Stonewall Kitchen. Check out more recipes here!