Harry Potter Pumpkin Pasties from Scratch

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• The crust is a flaky, buttery pie crust sweetened with a hint of cinnamon and sugar.
• The sweet pumpkin filling is spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.
• These English pasties are like little hand pies - you can have a slice of pumpkin pie anywhere, anytime!
• They're perfect for any occasion including Halloween, Thanksgiving, a Fall party, or a Harry Potter movie marathon!

Ingredients

• All purpose flour
• Granulated sugar - A small amount of sugar sweetens the pasty crust.
• Brown sugar - Adds a rich, caramel flavor to the pumpkin filling.
• Salt
• Cold butter - Keep your cubed butter cold in the fridge to ensure a flaky pie crust texture.
• Cold water - Keeping the water cold for the crust prevents the butter from softening and melting, which would result in a tough, chewy crust.
• Pumpkin - Use canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling which contains immeasurable amounts of added sugar and spices.
• Ground cinnamon - Adds a cozy flavor that is the perfect compliment to pumpkin.
• Ground nutmeg - Adds a warm, nutty flavor.
• Ground cloves - Adds a strong, almost hot flavor that balances the rest of the sweeter spices.
• Ground ginger - Adds a sweet and slightly spicy flavor.

How to Make Harry Potter Pumpkin Pasties

Below are the general steps to make these hand pies. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient measurements, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Make the pie dough: Whisk together all-purpose flour, salt, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Toss the cold cubed butter in the dry ingredients, and squish the butter until it is the size of large peas.

Add the cold water a tablespoon at a time until the dough holds its shape when squeezed in your hand. Press into a disc and wrap in plastic cling wrap.
Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Prepare the pumpkin pie filling: In a mixing bowl, combine canned pumpkin, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger until it is smooth. Set aside.

Roll the dough and cut out the pasty shapes: On a clean work surface lightly dusted with flour, roll out your dough with a rolling pin or large glass bottle until it's about ½ cm thick.
Use cookie cutters or the rim of a drinking glass to cut out circles from the dough about 6-inches in diameter.

Preheat the oven and prepare a baking sheet: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Transfer the dough circles to the lined baking sheet.

Fill the pasties with the pumpkin filling: Place a couple tablespoons of the pumpkin filling in the center of each dough circle.
Fold the circles over in half and use a fork to press down the edges, to prevent them from opening.

Cut steam vents into the pasties: Use a small sharp knife to cut a few lines into the tops of the pasties to allow steam to escape.

Bake the pasties: Bake for about 30 minutes, until the crust is golden. Let cool for 5 minutes, then enjoy!

Tips for Recipe Success

• Keep your cubed butter for the pasty crust cold. Cut the stick of butter into small cubes, then put it back in the fridge while you prepare the dry ingredients to ensure it isn't too soft when you mix it into the dough.
  
• Place a few ice cubes in a bowl with cold water and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to add the cold water to your dough. Warm or even room temperature water could soften and melt the butter in the pie dough.
  
• Crimping the edges of the pasties with a fork isn't just for looks. It seals the crust so the filling won't spread out while they're baking in the oven. Make sure you crimp through both the top and bottom layer of the pasties.
  
• Don't skip cutting the steam vents into the tops of each pumpkin pasty. These vents allow steam from the filling to escape during baking. If the steam can't escape, your crust could end up soggy.

Storing

Make Ahead: You can make the pastry dough in advance and store it wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to one month.

Leftovers: Baked pumpkin pasties taste best fresh. You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, but they may loose some of their crispy texture.