Spiced Pear Hand Pies

INGREDIENTS:

• 4–5 pears (approx. 400g), or apples
• 70g brown sugar
• 30g butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp allspice
• 1 egg, for egg wash
• 2 square sheets of shop-bought puff pastry
• Icing sugar, to serve

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prep the fruit: Chop the pears into small pieces, removing the core. You can leave the skin on - it softens as it cooks.‍
2. Cook the filling: In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped pears and sauté for 2–3 minutes, stirring often. Add the brown sugar, reduce the heat slightly, and cook for another 7–8 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Cook for another 3 minutes. Gently mash the mixture with a potato masher to break it down slightly while keeping some texture.‍
3. Assemble the hand pies: Cut each puff pastry sheet in half. Don’t turn on the toastie/sandwich maker yet! Lay one half of the pastry into the toastie maker and spoon a portion of the spiced pear mixture into each section. Brush the edges and lines between each section with egg wash. Top with the second pastry sheet and press down gently. Trim any excess pastry from the edges.‍
4. Cook: Close the lid and turn on the toastie maker. Cook for 9–10 minutes, until golden and crisp. Repeat until all the filling is used.
5. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm.