Summer Craving

I'm always disappointed when I cave to my summer cravings in the winter time.  The produce always falls short when it is out of season.  I was so excited to find a recipe for strawberry hand pies that calls for frozen strawberries rather than fresh.  The recipe is from the cookbook Vegan Pie in The Sky  by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.

Frozen is better in this case because the juice can get a little crazy with fresh berries.  You definitely want to minimize the juice when you are trying to fold crust around the filling.  It is really messy and difficult otherwise.  Frozen is also better because it is winter time.  Any fresh strawberries I get will be expensive and trucked in from who-knows-where.  They can't hold a candle to the fresh summer berries grown more locally.  Frozen is perfect for a delicious out of season treat!

This recipe was pretty easy, and I felt fancy making each little pastry.  The best part, other than eating the yummy little pies, was the delicious smell of strawberries.  I do a lot of baking, and I have never made anything this fragrant!  It almost felt like summer every time I caught a whiff of sweet strawberry goodness!  Only 5 months to go (probably more like 3 - this is Texas).