Flaky, salty-sweet and freezer-friendly – these hand pies are worth holding onto

“Hand pies are just filled pastries you can hold in your hand,” says chef Lou Robbie. “They are flaky and just delicious.

“I’m a huge fan of salty-and-sweet savoury food. Salty goat’s cheese and sweet potato are a fabulous combination with the addition of the mildly spiced onions.”

Sweet potato and goat’s cheese hand pies

Makes: 6

Ingredients:

1½ tbsp oil

1 medium onion, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

A small pinch of salt and pepper

100g sweet potato cubes, cooked

100g goat’s cheese

1 x 375g pack of ready-rolled puff pastry

1 egg, beaten with a dash of milk to make egg wash

Method:

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1. Warm a frying pan on a medium heat, then add the oil and onion and cook for 5-10 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika and salt and pepper, and cook for a further few minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 180C fan. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Put the cooked sweet potatoes into a mixing bowl with the goat’s cheese and cooked onions and mix, but leave small lumps of cheese and sweet potato – it’s better if it’s not a smooth paste.

3. Unroll the pastry and cut it into 6 equal squares. Brush the edge of each square with the egg wash. Add a generous tablespoon of the filling to each square, then fold the pastry over to make a triangle, sealing the edge with a fork. Brush the pies with the egg wash.

4. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until golden and cooked through.

Storage: The pies can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To freeze: Freeze in labelled ziplock bags for up to 3 months.

To defrost: Defrost in the fridge overnight.

Tip: You can make these with puff or shortcrust pastry. I like to peel, dice, steam and freeze sweet potatoes so as to have them on hand for this recipe.

Recipe from ‘Make & Freeze’ by Lou Robbie (Penguin Michael Joseph, £22).