This week it has been all about local farm sweet potato. I shared a savoury recipe of the Baked Sweet Potato Poutine with Mushroom Miso Gravy that is definitely a crowd pleasure. For a comforting bowl of soup, you can also enjoy my Sweet Potato and Pear Soup with Crispy Sage recipe which is perfect for the cold winter months. This one is for those who have a sweet tooth. These hand pies are simple to make and and remind of the Flaky growing up. For those of you that grew up in the 80’s, know exactly what I mean. 😉 Layers of flaky puff pastry filled with an aromatic creamy sweet potato filling. A dollop of creme fraiche to cut a bit of the sweetness from the potatoes and honey. Its important to use quality local honey. In this recipe, I used Rosewood EstatesWinery Wildflower Honey. Rosewood is one of our favourites, especially their smoked honey. Toasted almonds for a nutty crunch but also because almonds are the perfect pairing with puff pastry. To toast your almonds, heat a skillet over medium heat, add almonds and saute until lightly golden.

Tip: For a puffier and flakier pastry, trim all sides of the rectangles slightly. This also makes all the rectangles an even size when you are sealing them. I can not wait for you to try these. They were so flaky and deliciously addictive, well, thats what my family says!

Enjoy, xoxo

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Spiced Sweet Potato Honey Hand Pies with Creme Fraiche and Almonds

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Canadian

Materials

• 1 lb sweet potatoes about 2-3 medium
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 tsp 4 mL ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp 2 mL ground cinnamon
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tbsp 45 mL heavy cream
• 1/4 cup 60 mL wildflower honey + extra for drizzling
• 2 tbsp 30 mL old fashion brown sugar, its a dark brown sugar
• 3 sheets of puff pastry thawed as per package directions
• 1 large egg
• creme fraiche
• un-blanched sliced almonds toasted

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 F. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes or until completely softened.
• Let potatoes cool, peel skin and place then in a large bowl of a mixer.
• Add salt, ginger and cinnamon. Beat until no lumps in the potatoes. Beat in one egg at a time until smooth.
• Add in honey and brown sugar and beat for another minute until well incorporated.
• Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a few large baking sheets with parchment or a silicone mat.
• Lightly dust surface with flour. Unroll one portion of puff pastry and roll it out with a rolling pin gently just enough to make it even thickness. Cut into 6 even rectangles and place the rectangles on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut the remaining sheets of puff pastry into matching pieces.
• Divide the sweet potato filling onto 9 of the rectangles on the baking sheet and then top each with the second rectangle piece of puff pastry. Using a fork, crimp the edges of the hand pies to seal them. You should get 9 hand pies out of the recipe.
• Cut 2 slits on the top of each hand pie with a serrated knife. Whisk together the egg and a tablespoon of water and brush over each hand pie.
• Bake pies in preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden and puffy.
• Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche, a good drizzle of honey and garnish with almonds.