In these autumnal vegetarian hand pies, cubes of butternut squash roasted with cumin and coriander meet up with tangy fresh goat cheese inside flaky, buttery pastry. Serve these as a substantial afternoon snack with a glass of wine, or pair with a butter lettuce and pumpkin seed salad for a satisfying lunch.

Game plan: You can prepare the filling up to 2 days before you assemble the pies. You can make the dough and refrigerate it for up to 1 day, or store it in the freezer for up to a month (transfer it to the fridge for thawing the day before you plan to make the pies).

Have some leftover butternut squash? Try our easy butternut squash soup recipe.

  • Yield: 8 to 10 individual pies
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Total: 1 hr 10 mins, plus at least 45 mins chilling time
  • Active: 40 mins

Ingredients (12)

For the flaky pie dough:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup very cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), in small cubes
  • 8 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed

For the filling:

  • 1 (2-1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • Red pepper flakes to taste
  • Olive oil
  • 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon warm water
  • 6 ounces chèvre (fresh goat cheese), crumbled

Instructions

To make the dough:

  1. In the bowl of a food processor, stir together the flour and salt. Sprinkle the butter over the top and pulse for a few seconds, or just until the butter is slightly broken up into the flour but still in visible pieces. Evenly sprinkle the water over the flour mixture, then process just until the mixture starts to come together.
  2. Dump the dough onto a work surface, press it together, then divide it in half. Press each half into a disk, then place the disks in a large zipper-top plastic bag. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes or as long as 1 day.

To make the filling:

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Place the butternut squash cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with the cumin, coriander, a large pinch of salt, and red pepper flakes to taste. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Toss to coat evenly, then spread in a single layer. Roast until tender and caramelized, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely before using.

To assemble and bake:

  1. Reduce the oven heat to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Divide the chilled dough into 8 to 10 pieces. On a floured work surface, roll out each piece of dough into a circle about 1⁄8-inch thick. Place the circles on the baking sheet and refrigerate for about 10 minutes.
  3. Brush a thin layer of the egg mixture across half of each circle. Divide the roasted squash among the dough circles, placing it in the middle of the circle. Sprinkle each with some of the goat cheese, dividing it evenly. Fold the dough over the filling to make a half moon. Trim off any excess dough, making sure to leave enough of a margin to seal. Press the edges with a fork to seal.
  4. Transfer the hand pies to the prepared baking sheet, arranging them evenly. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes. Brush the tops with the remaining egg mixture, then—using the tines of the fork—poke vents in the top of each hand pie.
  5. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.