Ube Hand Pies
Ube Hand Pies reminds me of my grandma’s cooking. I remember being in her kitchen while she was busy making her delicious “ube halaya” during the holiday season. It was a mixture of mashed deep purple yam (a starchy tuber) with butter, cream, and sugar. Ube halaya is a popular Filipino dessert. Due to accessibility, I used Stokes Purple sweet potatoes for this recipe. Equally delicious and no need to add any artificial coloring.
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difference between stokes purple sweet potatoes and ube
Stokes Purple sweet potatoes are a variety of sweet potato that is a vibrant purple color, while Ube is a widely popular Filipino purple yam. Stokes Purple sweet potatoes are much sweeter than Ube, which has a more earthy, nutty flavor. The two taste very different, but both are great options for a wide variety of dishes! If you want to learn more about ube read my blog post on Ube Tart.
If you’re a big fan of ube, you’ll love my Ube Rolls recipe.
ingredients notes
UBE HALAYA FILLING:
- Stokes Purple sweet potatoes – I used 3 medium size stokes potatoes, peeled them, and cut them into inch cubes. Cooked the same way as regular potatoes (yields 2 cups).
- Salted butter is what I used – I didn’t add extra salt since the butter is already salted.
- Heavy cream – helps with the consistency and adds creaminess to the ube mixture.
- Brown sugar – for extra sweetness.
- Pure maple syrup – add an earthy flavor and sweetened the mixture.
- Cinnamon – is the perfect spice to use for this mixture.
- Vanilla – helps ramp up the flavor.
ONCE THE FILLING IS COOL TIME TO ROLL THE CRUST:
- Store-bought Puff Pastry dough – is an easy way to make your hand pies. I used a 10×15 sheet, rolled it, and cut them into squares (4×4). In case you can only find a smaller package, then you can cut your hand pie in any shape you like e.g. round, oblong, or even triangle.
- Egg wash helps create a nice brown finish for your pie. I used one egg and mix it with 2 teaspoons of cream or whole milk. I also use it to seal the edges of the hand pie.
- Granulated or crystal sugar is an option to sprinkle on top before baking. I like the finished crystal look.
how to make Ube Hand Pies
FILLING:
- Peel and cut the Stokes Potatoes into an inch size. For the purpose of not getting your hands all purple, you surely need to wear gloves. Fill a stock pot with water, and add the cubed purple potatoes. Then cook for 10-12 minutes or until fork tender (see video).
- Once the purple potatoes are tender, drain the water and place them back on the stove, then turn the heat to medium-high. Add butter, heavy cream, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla, then stir to combine. Use an immersion blender and blend the mixture until smooth (see notes).
- Cool completely before storing or filling the pastry dough.
BAKE THE HAND PIES:
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Lightly dust the surface with flour. Lay the Puff Pastry sheet, then roll and cut it into squares (about 4×4).
- Make the egg wash, use a fork and mix one egg plus 2 teaspoons of cream or whole milk.
- Scoop about a tablespoon of ube filling and fill each square of dough. Place the filling in the middle of the square. Using your finger, lightly dab the edges with egg wash. Close and seal the dough, then use a fork and press with enough pressure to leave impressions to crimp the edges.
- Use a pairing knife and make 3 slits on top of the pie. Brush with egg wash, and it’s an option to sprinkle crystal sugar. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until golden brown.
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Ube Hand Pies
Equipment
- Immersion Blender
- Stockpot
- Strainer
- Fork
- knife
- cutting board
- Vegetable peeler
Ingredients
UBE FILLING
- 3 medium size Stokes Purple sweet potatoes, or 2 cups cooked
- 1/2 cup or one stick of salted butter, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
DOUGH
- 1 package 10×15 Puff Pastry sheet
- 2 teaspoon whole milk
- 1 tablespoon granulated or crystal sugar
Instructions
UBE FILLING
- Fill a stockpot with water, enough to submerge the cubed Stokes Purple sweet potatoes.
- You need to wear gloves if you don't want your hands to turn purple. Peel and cut the potatoes into inch cubes. Place them in the stockpot with water. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until fork tender (see notes).
- Once the potatoes are tender, drain the water. Place the stockpot back on the stove on medium-high heat. Add butter, heavy cream, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
- Use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. Remove from the heat and cool completely before storing or filling the pie dough.
PIE DOUGH
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Lightly dust the surface with flour and roll the dough. Cut the Puff Pastry sheet into squares (4×4). Make the egg wash by combining the eggs and milk. Use a fork and beat the eggs until combined. Set it aside.
- Scoop about a tablespoon of the filling and fill each square of dough with ube filling. Place them in the center.
- Use your finger and dab egg wash on the edges of the dough, then close to seal. Use a fork and press it with enough pressure to leave impressions on the edges. Cut slits on top and brush with egg wash. Option to sprinkle granulated or crystal sugar on top before baking.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Video
Notes
- Three medium Stokes Purple sweet potatoes will yield 2 cups of ube filling. You’ll only use about a cup for your Ube Hand Pies. For your leftover, you can use it as a spread for your bread, you can make another batch of hand pies, or it’s perfect to serve by itself as a dessert.
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a potato masher. Mash the cooked Stokes Purple sweet potatoes first, then cook for the filling.
- You can also use my recipe for Pie Crust instead of buying Puff Pastry.
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Make sure to come back to the blog post and give us star ratings and reviews You can refrigerate them for up to a week or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Yes, you can freeze them. Place them on a sheet pan in a single layer then freeze them for at least an hour first. Once they’re frozen, you can place them in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for months. This will prevent your pie from sticking to each other and the dough won’t tear when you’re trying to separate them.
Yes, the difference is that Stokes Purple sweet potatoes are sweeter and are deeper in purple color.
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Hi there! Nice to meet you. My name is Jen.
Hello, nice to meet you! I’m Jen, a mom of 2 wonderful girls. I love to prepare home-cooked meals. Cooking and planning your meals might sound like another chore added to your already long list of things to do. Believe me, I’ve been there. Surely, cooking more meals at home is worth all the effort. After years of cooking for my family and teaching culinary classes, I can honestly say that I have more control over the quality of the ingredients I use. It’s important to realize that when you cook better you eat better.
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