Every time I eat poppy-seed-flavored desserts, I feel like I am preparing myself to be a Jewish grandma, and it makes me really happy. (It’s like the thirtysomething version of when you’d drink Shirley Temples as a kid and pretend to be grown up.) I don’t think anyone is born craving thick blobs of jet-black sweet goo, so I’m going to say that discovering how good it tastes is a sign of mature distinction. Poppy seeds are nutty, fruity and make for a striking pie filling. And if you thought the filling was the only star of the show here, think again; this crust takes a cue from rugelach dough and gets a tender, tangy boost from cream cheese. If it’s blood orange season where you are, enjoy the beautiful natural color of this glaze. If not, regular oranges will do.
Notes:
- You can prepare the crust up to two days ahead.
- Store the hand pies in an airtight container at room temperature for three to four days.
From “Sweet Farm!” by Molly Yeh. Copyright © 2025 by Molly Rebecca Yeh. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Glazed Poppy Seed Hand Pies Recipe
These poppy-seed-filled hand pies, featuring a cream cheese-infused crust inspired by rugelach dough and a vibrant citrus glaze, offer a nostalgic yet sophisticated treat with nutty, fruity flavors.
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: Serves 10
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 ½ cups (325 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup (226 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 8 oz (226 g) cold cream cheese, cut into rough cubes
- 2 large egg yolks (reserve the whites for the egg wash)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
For the filling:
- ½ cup (70 g) poppy seeds, finely ground in a spice grinder
- ½ cup (120 g) milk
- ⅓ cup (67 g) sugar
- ¼ cup (84 g) honey
- pinch of kosher salt
- zest and juice of ½ blood orange (or regular orange)
- ½ tsp pure almond extract
- egg wash: the reserved egg whites beaten with a splash of water
To assemble:
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (64 g) blood orange juice, plus a little more as needed
- pinch of kosher salt
- sprinkles (optional but encouraged)
Instructions
- To make the crust, in a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar and salt. Scatter in the butter and cream cheese, distributing it all over the dry ingredients, and pulse until the butter and cream cheese are pea size. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and continue pulsing until larger clumps start to form. (You can also do this by hand in a big bowl, using your fingers to incorporate the butter and cream cheese by smashing and rubbing it in with the dry ingredients until it’s evenly dispersed and pea size. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and use a spatula to gently mix into a shaggy mass.)
- Turn out onto a work surface and press the dough together with your hands, divide the dough in half, and shape into two rectangles. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- To make the filling, in a small saucepan, combine the poppy seeds, milk, sugar, honey, salt, and orange zest and juice. Bring to a rapid simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until thick and jam-like (if you draw a spoon across the bottom of the pan, you’ll see a line), 6-8 minutes. Stir in the almond extract, transfer to a heat-safe bowl, and let cool completely. (You can expedite this in the fridge.)
- Arrange oven racks in the upper middle and lower middle positions and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Working with one dough rectangle at a time, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thickness, dusting with a little more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Cut out 3 ¾- to 4-inch squares, rerolling the scraps to get 20 squares total. Place 10 of the squares on the pans, 2 inches apart, spacing out 5 squares per pan. Add a heaping tablespoon of filling to each of the squares on the pans, brush the edges with egg wash, place another square on top, and press the edges firmly with a fork to seal well. Brush the tops with egg wash and poke a few holes with your fork.
- Bake until golden brown; begin checking for doneness at 22 minutes. Switch each pan to the other rack and rotate the pans 180 degrees a little over halfway through the bake time. Let cool for 10 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, in a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, and salt until smooth and spreadable, adding more juice if necessary to make it smooth. Spread on top of the pastries and sprinkle with sprinkles (if using).
Notes
- You can prepare the crust up to two days ahead.
- Store the hand pies in an airtight container at room temperature for three to four days.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes + 1 hour chill time
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Ashkenazi
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