Gluten Free Chocolate Hand Pies

This post should have been about a chocolate pecan tart. Even better, chocolate pecan tart eaten in the company of friends from many different areas of our lives. The afternoon of January 1st 2014 was filled with a house full of old friendships renewed, current friendships continued, new friendships made comfortable and friends-of-friends losing their once-removed status to become just friends. A slow and easy afternoon, a great way to start the year. More importantly (and unfortunately) for you though, it was an afternoon that didn’t need interrupting with cameras.

Crunchy, crumbly, chocolatey.

So instead I bring you the pastry offcuts of a chocolate pecan tart. The scraps from the table as it were. They are good scraps though. The pastry recipe comes from BBC Good Food’s February issue and their little “gluten free baking” booklet. I’ve never made gluten free pastry before and I’m not great at pastry, but this is the crispiest, crumbliest pastry I have ever made. The whole thing goes crunchy so it’s half biscuit, half pie and keeps pretty well.

Pies in a row

Chocolate / Nutella Hand Pies
50g chilled butter, diced
85g gluten free flour (I used rice flour)
1/2 tsp xantham gum
1 level tbsp icing sugar
cold water to mix
As much Nutella as you want to cram into them (or some squares of chocolate)

Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs. Alternatively, pulse in a food processor.
Stir the xantham gum and icing sugar through the mix.
Using a round bladed knife add water 1 tbsp at a time, cutting through the mixture to combine until it starts to come together.
Knead it really lightly, put in a sandwich bag and chill for 30mins.
Preheat oven to 180c.
Dust your worksurface and roll out the pastry.
Cut circles using a scone cutter or similar (about 8cm diameter).
Place a dollop of nutella or bit of chocolate in each circle, just off centre.
Dab a little water around the edge of the circles, fold in half and crimp with a fork or knife.
If you want a glaze, brush with egg or milk.
I think they should bake in 15mins, but I left mine in with the tart case (25mins) and they survived.