brie + jam pretzel hand pies
I wasn’t sure what to call these. Calzones? Stuffed pretzel rolls? Circles of sweet and savory goodness?
But I ate them with my hands and a pie filled with brie and jam sounds pretty tasty, so… hand pies. Pretzel hand pies, to be exact. With brie and raspberry jam in the center. Oooooh yes.
Obviously I’m currently suffering from a case of post-traumatic house-moving disorder, thus my random thoughts and erratic sentence structure. OK, OK, I’m being dramatic. It wasn’t that bad, really. But if someone wants to come unpack all these boxes for me and put everything where it’s supposed to go while I sit here eating pretzel hand pies, that would be swell.
So anyway, about these hand pies. They are a sweet and savory and slightly miniature version my pretzel calzones, which were and forevermore shall be one of the most epic creations to come out of my kitchen (there also have been epic fails, let me tell you, but allow me to bask in this minor victory). I love them so, and yet — gasp — I haven’t made them in MONTHS. That is, until I decided to make these. And the rest is history.
Here’s the siuation going on here: We’ve got pretzel dough stuffed with raspberry jam and a chunk of soft, melty brie. It goes in a water bath, then gets sprinkled with sea salt and baked to warm, melty, pretzel-y deliciousness. And then we get to eat it — my favorite part.
Oh, and about this house! I don’t think I’ve told you much about it. It’s beeoootiful. It’s only about 10 minutes from our old apartment, which is awesome because I need my Target and Chipotle close by (first world problems, I know). It’s a bungalow, which I actually have no idea what that means but Elliott tells me it has something to do with the second story being just a bedroom (I just like the word bungalow). Oh andandand I will finally have a room of my own for bloggy work. I KNOW. I’m pumped. I shall give you a tour when, you know, it doesn’t look like we live out of boxes.
So exsqueeze me for the short(er) post today — I need to unpack my hairdryer before I scare off the new neighbors. Enjoy the hand pies!
Brie and Jam Pretzel Hand Pies
A Girl Versus Dough original
Yields: About 16 mini pies
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/4 lb brie, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)
Sea salt, for sprinkling
Directions:
Combine water, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer; let sit 5 minutes until foamy.
Add flour, salt and butter; stir to combine. Using a dough hook, knead dough on medium speed 5 minutes until smooth, elastic and slightly tacky (alternatively, you can turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand 10 minutes until smooth, elastic and slightly tacky).
Shape dough into a ball and place in a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place 1 hour until doubled.
When dough is nearly doubled, combine water and baking soda in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Punch down dough. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a round biscuit or cookie cutter to cut out circles of dough. Re-roll out scraps as needed.
Spoon a teaspoon or so of jam into the center of half the dough circles. Top with a piece of brie. Top with another dough circle to form a pie; use fingers or fork tines to seal the edges. Transfer pies to a lightly floured baking sheet or platter.
Place about 3 hand pies at a time in the boiling water bath; boil 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove pies and transfer to a parchment paper or silicone mat-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pies, placing pies about 1 inch apart on baking sheets.
Lightly brush tops of pies with egg wash, then sprinkle with sea salt. Bake 12 to 14 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Cool slightly on a cooling rack before serving.
I’ve never put brie in anything other than puff pastry and that is sooooo about to change. LOVE this!
This is GENIUS!!! Pure. genius.
These look amazing! They would make such a great party appetizer. Unpacking takes forever! We moved into our house in December and still have some untouched boxes in the basement to go through at some point.
Whatever you call them, I WANT THEM!
Congratulations on your new house! And- I adore these hand pies. Sweet and savory together? I’m in!
Congrats on your new home! You make a sista want to make some dough.. These look like heaven.
These are gorgeous and such a unique idea! I love brie and jam together! Fruit and cheese and pastry heaven right here!
This is such a fabulous flavour combination…love! Salty and sweet is always a winner in my book.
Katrina — Oh, you have to try it with pretzel. It’s amazing. 🙂 Thanks, dear!
Natalie — Thanks, darlin’! 🙂
Marie — I’d mail you some if I could! 🙂
Lisa — Thank you!! And yes, isn’t sweet and savory the best combo there is? 🙂
Erika — Same to you, love! 🙂 And get on that pretzel dough-makin’… it’ll change your life, fo sho.
Tieghan — Brie and jam together is one of my favorite things about life. 🙂 Thanks, love!
thelittleloaf — Oh, it’s one of my fave combos, for sure. 🙂 Thank you!
Oh so amazing!!! They look delicious – cute factor too !!!
Oh gosh I think my sister going through exactly what you are going through right now. I must try these! We use to have stuffed pretzels in Aus too but the chain shut down CRY. Now I can make them at home! think of the combos you could stuff in these babies.
I want a dozen!
These hand pies look so tempting, Stephanie! Love the oozing jam!
Hand pie is the PERFECT thing to call these…and I think I’ll take two or three!
oH MY GOD. These are amazing!!
Robyn — Yes! Always love the cute factor bonus. 🙂 Thanks!
Belinda — Haha, well I’m glad I’m not alone? 😉 And yes, so many things you can stuff in these — the possibilities are endless!
Maria — It was hard not to eat that many for breakfast this morning! 😉 Thank you!
Anna — Thank you, friend!
Steph — Right?? I thought hand pie was most appropriate — mostly because I’m too impatient to eat them with anything else but my hands. 🙂 Thanks, dear!
Claire — Thank ya, lady!
These look fabulous. I must make a variation!
Mimi — Thank you! Let me know what you come up with! 🙂
Calzones, hand pies, pockets-o-glory….whatever you call them, I want them! BRIE and jam? AAAAAH! When I was a kid, I always went for the cheese-filled danishes, and I love this all grown up pretzel version. Hope you had a fun weekend!
Can we please swap sandwich cookies for pretzel hand pies? Because I need these in my life, stat!
These are incredible, lady! I mean, like, genius! I so want one right now.
Julia — LOL, “pockets-o-glory” <--- FAVE so far 🙂 Thanks for the laugh, love!
Laura — How about we meet up and have both at the same time? 😉
Ashley — Thank you, love!
ummm WOW!! These are beautiful!! I absolutely love brie and jam, and nothings bad with a pretzel roll!
Congratulations on the move, although I know it’s EXHAUSTING. We move at least every year and I’m getting so tired of it. We’ve really pared down over time to make it a bit easier.
Hand pie + pretzel = best idea ever! Pinning to make when I get home this weekend!
Lily — Thank you so much!
Sarah — Thank you! And seriously, I could nap for like 12 hours right now. 🙂
Yes and please! I had a brie and jam grilled cheese sandwich a couple weeks ago and have not been able to get the flavor combination out of my mind. Me thinks my new Kitchenaid mixer would love to make some pretzel dough to go with that flavor combo!
Lauren — Mmm, brie and jam grilled cheese is the best! And this would be a fantastic way to break in that KitchenAid mixer 🙂 Thanks!
Congrats on the new house! So exciting! And these hand pies, forget about it! You are so talented, friend!
Yaaaayyyyy!!! Congrats on your house!! I’d happily come help you unpack in exchange from some of these delicious hand pies!
Get OUT. These are incredible, Steph! Such a perfect sweet-salty snack! I am in love.
Oh my gosh, I don’t know if I can handle this awesomeness! Pretzel and pie and brie all in one. This looks amazing, Stephanie (:
Take heart – you are so, so, so much more unpacked and moved than I am! We got the keys like a week ago and it’s still pretty disastrous. ahem: http://instagram.com/p/cpI5__gaBu/
So really, the fact that you can make, photograph, and blog about deliciousness? Amazing.
Oh my! Yes, these look crazy yummy! And I CAN’T WAIT to see pix of your house! I always found the unpacking to be the best part. It’s like Christmas! And how wonderful to find new homes for everything! It gives them a whole new life! Have fun, and hurry with the pix!
What a fabulous treat! Love the sound of your new bungalow!!
Lauren — Thank you so much, darlin’! You’re the best 🙂
Kelli — DEAL. 😉
Georgia — Thank you, friend! 🙂
Caroline — Thank you, dear! xo
Kate — Pretty kitchen, and congrats! And my kitchen definitely looks 10,000 times worse right now (like, the floor is totally covered). Baby steps! 🙂
but you can cook yummy, pretty things! I have not graduated to that step yet. Hopefully soon, my bakers hands are itching! Good luck with the rest of your boxes 🙂
Tiff — Thank you! I’ll get the photos up as soon as our place doesn’t look like a tornado came through it. 😉
Julie — Thank you, dear!
I just sent a picture of the title of this post to boyfriend with the text, “HOW ARE MY FRIENDS SO COOL”. So that should sum up how I feel about this whole ding-dang thang.
This is… pure beauty. I have no other words. Brie and jam is pretty much my favorite combo ever.
WOW, these are so creative!! My mouth is watering! Pinning for later! 🙂 Congrats on the move!
I’m fascinated by the idea of dropping these into a boiling water bath before baking them… but then again, I’ve never made anything remotely pretzel-y. I love that gorgeously golden, glossy and cracked crust. Oozy cheese + pastry/dough + jam = heaven in a hand pie! Thanks for the recipe. I’m quite excited… gonna try this soon!! x
Stephie — Aw, you’re the coolest. 🙂
Mary-Clay — Thank you so much!
Melissa — Thank you! And thanks for the pin love 🙂
Laurasmess — It is a little precarious but it totally (magically) works (the water bath, that is). I hope you like the recipe! 🙂
GIIIIIIRL would’ya look at those pretty hand pies! Seriously genius material right here!
Congratulations this is exciting news! And they look so yum.
Laurie — Thank ya, lady! 🙂
Helene — Thank you so much!
I want to try these as PB and J hand pies!!!! I love anything soft pretzel related! When it comes to moving or let’s say arranging a baby room, I really wish magic was a real thing so that everything could just be put in place without having to lift a finger…. except to eat a hand pie.
Stefanie — Oh my YUM, that would be an amazing variation on these. I gotta do that now, too!
Also, yes… let’s find someone and/or a magic spell to do our moving/arranging for us. 🙂
What a lovely, lovely, idea! Sweet, salty savory! A perfect trifecta.. Congrats on the house can’t wait to hear about it!
Pretzel dough for pie!? I freaking love you!
Maria — Thank you! Can’t wait to share more 🙂
Erin — Ha! Thanks, gal!
Oh my goodness. Delicious!
YUM! Just looking at these photos are making me drool! I love the sweet/salty/savory combination .. I’ve already pinned this recipe and it’s on my “to bake” list when I get home!
Monique — Thanks, dear!
Erica — Isn’t the sweet/savory combo the best? And thank so much for pinning… hope you love the recipe! 🙂
Honestly, I wouldn’t care WHAT your hair looked like if I could just have a bite of one of these. OMG. Amazing. These are basically everything I love in life…in one bite.
Hi! Maybe I’m totally crazy but I don’t see oven temperature on here. Mind sharing? Thanks!
Joanne — Lol! This is why we’re friends. 🙂
Jenni — Meep! Good catch! Fixed. 🙂
So glad I saw a link to these on Baking Bites, they look unreal! So many things to love about these hand pies!
Post-traumatic house-moving disorder is the worst! However, these hand pies look like the puurrffect cure. I love brie with any kind of jam and imagining that stuffed inside of a pretzel? Genius.
Lauren — Thank you so much! I had no idea Baking Bites shared this post — will have to check it out! 🙂
Sarah — Thanks! And ugh, I’m so over this disorder. 😉
These look so incredibly luscious! I want one right now. I’m ransacking my pantry for the ingredients as I type. 😉
Congrats on the new house. So exciting!
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Rebekah — Thanks, dear! Hope you can find everything you need so you can make these ASAP 🙂
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Ummmmm YES please. I love cheese + jam .. such a winning combination. And pretzels are basically my reason for existence.
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I am on a cheesy soft pretzel kick now and this looks like the best thing ever!
Oh these look amazing! I love the idea of pretzels stuffed with cheese – but classy cheese, not the kind you find in those bags on sale at the local gas station!
Oh my, I can’t wait to try making these! Would it be a “sin” if I cut off the white outer part of the Brie cheese? I just hate that white bitter part.
Lorraine — Nope, get that white outer part outta there! They’ll still be just as tasty. 🙂
Hi Stephanie!
I’m planning on making these for tomorrow but am on a bit tight of schedule. Do you think it would be okay to make the dough ahead of time and then forming them in the morning?
Thank you!
Leah — Yay! 🙂 You can definitely make the dough ahead of time — once it’s risen, cover it tightly and place it in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature in the morning and proceed with the recipe directions. It should work!
Came across this recipe on Wit & Vinegar and was like “Hey! I know that blog!” These pretzels look amazing. I’m pregnant…and just looking at the pictures has almost replaced my unstoppable Doritos craving. Nom!
Liz — Oh hey! 🙂 Thanks! And congrats on your baby news! Between these and Doritos, I’d pretty much have my dream diet. 😉
I don’t care what you call them, as long as I can have one 🙂
I am so trying this out – they sound ridiculously awesome.
Oh wow, these look incredible. I would love to make them for a baby shower brunch I am hosting. What do you think about making them ahead and reheating? How would you do that? I think I am going to go home tonight and make some because I just cannot wait!
Erin — Oooh, yay, that would be perfect! Unfortunately, these guys don’t do so well reheated, at least in my experience. However, I haven’t tried freezing them after they’re baked and then reheating them that way. You can give it a try, otherwise, it’s best if they’re made the same day they’re eaten (like any pretzel, it gets kind of ish the next day). Maybe give the freezing a try tonight though to see if it works!
Just wanted to get back to you Stephanie and tell you that I made and froze these about 4 days before the baby shower. Took them out of the freezer and put them in the fridge to defrost the day before. Re-heated through in the oven and they turned out great! Maybe not as fantastically amazing as straight out of the oven, but darn close. They were seriously the talk of the party…thanks for the recipe!
Erin — Oh great! I’m so glad they turned out so well and that everyone loved them! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Stephanie! I just saw this photo on the Fortify Pinterest board and now I will be thinking of these all day. I’ve made brie and raspberry bites with puff pastry before, but pretzel rolls?! Genius. Love it. 🙂
Katie — Oh, thanks so much for stopping by! I’m glad you love these! The brie and raspberry combo can’t be beat. 🙂
I love everything about this recipe, great!
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These are just calling my name and look so yummy! Can’t wait to make them for book club. They will be perfect. Another stuffing suggestion, use Chipotle Raspberry Sauce and another fav cheese. (Happy to have found you on my friend Lisa’s Snappy Gourmet site. Always happy to get new food ideas! No one in my house is shy at the table : ))
Pam — Thanks for stopping by! Chipotle raspberry sauce and another cheese? Sounds amazing.
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U was thinking this would be great for a party I’m having…what do you suggest for make ahead… Any part of this I can do before?
This sounds soooo yummy I’m excited to make it!!
Alyson — You can probably make the dough ahead of time (through the first rise) and freeze it. Then thaw it on the countertop until it’s pliable again before continuing with the recipe. If you make it just the night before you can try covering the dough and keeping it stored in the fridge (after the first rise) overnight one night, but I’m not sure how that would affect the flavor. Hope that helps!
Could you make these ahead of time and freeze them? If so would you stop at a certain step or make them completle and just warm them up?
ckreutter — I’ve never done that before but you can try! I would either freeze the dough and then assemble/bake them once the dough is thawed, or you can try to make them from start to finish and freeze them once they’re fully baked and cooled — just be sure they’re wrapped really well. Let me know if you try it and what works!
These should be ok frozen after baked, right? Has anyone tried this?
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Could you make these ahead? Boil them in water and then put them in the frig for a few hours until ready to bake? Would love to do them for a cocktail party.
Thanks.
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I was looking for a recipe that I can make ahead of time for my husband to take to work for breakfast. This is perfect! I’ve never been good with dough, so I am hoping that I can handle it LOL
I just made these and am burning my tongue eating one since I cannot stop and they are so good. Can’t wait for my husband to come home to try them!
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Hi Stephanie!!
I just wanted to say that your blog is gorgeous! Love the photography and the light in your photos.
I’d love to include your Brie & Jam Pretzel Hand Pies in a hand pie recipe roundup that I’m preparing for Parade Magazine (to be published in Sept).
If you’re fine with it, could I use one of your photos with a linkback to your original post (http://www.girlversusdough.com/2013/08/05/brie-jam-pretzel-hand-pies/)?
Let me know your thoughts & thanks so much in advance!
Cheers,
Felicia
Felicia — Thanks so much for asking! Yes, you may definitely share it.
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Im going to give these a try for thanksgiving beacuse they sound AMAZING. Do you think if I made them up until the actual cooking part, I could freeze them until actually thanksgiving or do these need to be made same day ?
Allison — I think these probably need to be made the same day for best results.
These sound wonderful; would love to have them as one of the appetizers at my Christmas open house. Is there any way to make them ahead?
Anna Mae — I’ve never made them ahead before and unfortunately, pretzels are one of those breads that taste best freshly made. But you can look above at previous responses where I give some possible tips for making them ahead!
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