Description
These Spooky Sweet Potato Ghost Hand Pies are a fun and festive treat perfect for Halloween or autumn gatherings. Flaky, buttery pie crusts encase a spiced sweet potato filling with hints of cinnamon, ginger, and bourbon or vanilla, baked to golden perfection and optionally glazed and decorated with candy eyes to resemble ghostly hands.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Dough
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- ¼ cup cold water
Sweet Potato Filling
- 1 (15-ounce) can sweet potato puree
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon bourbon (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Egg Wash and Decoration
- 1 large egg
- 1 splash water
- Optional: cinnamon sugar for topping
- Optional: 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk or water (for glaze)
- 1 pinch kosher salt (for glaze)
- Optional: candy eyes for decoration
Instructions
- Prepare the pie dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 2 ½ cups flour, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Add 1 cup cold cubed unsalted butter and mix until only small pieces of butter remain visible.
- Add water and form dough: Gradually add ¼ cup cold water and mix lightly just until the dough becomes shaggy. Transfer dough to a clean surface and shape into a flat disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the sweet potato filling: In a medium bowl, stir together sweet potato puree, dark brown sugar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and bourbon or vanilla extract. Add melted unsalted butter and mix well. Set aside.
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheets: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out dough and cut shapes: Lightly dust a clean surface with flour. Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Use a ghost-shaped cookie cutter to cut out about 32 ghost shapes. Transfer cutouts to prepared baking sheets. Reroll scraps and repeat until all dough is used.
- Prepare egg wash: In a small bowl, beat 1 large egg with a splash of water.
- Assemble hand pies: Brush edges of half (16) of the ghost shapes with egg wash. Place about 1 tablespoon of sweet potato filling into the center of each egg-washed ghost. Top with remaining ghost shapes and gently press edges to seal. Crimp edges with a fork to secure.
- Apply egg wash and optional topping: Brush the tops of the sealed pies with egg wash. If desired, sprinkle some or all with cinnamon sugar for added flavor and texture.
- Bake the hand pies: Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on racks.
- Prepare optional glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon milk or water, and a pinch of kosher salt until smooth.
- Glaze and decorate: Brush the glaze over the cooled hand pies. Before the glaze sets, top with candy eyes for a spooky effect.
- Serve: Serve the hand pies warm or at room temperature for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- For a non-alcoholic version, substitute bourbon with vanilla extract as indicated.
- You can add chopped pecans to the filling for an added crunch if desired.
- The dough must be kept cold to ensure a flaky crust.
- If you don’t have a ghost-shaped cookie cutter, you can use any similarly sized cutter or form shapes by hand.
- Hand pies are best eaten within two days but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Reheat gently in the oven to regain crispiness before serving.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: sweet potato hand pies, Halloween dessert, spooky pies, sweet potato pie, hand pies, fall desserts, ghost-shaped pies
