Say Cheese! It's National Cheese Lover's Day

As connosieurs of all thing cheese, CrankyPuppy and my other fuzzy companions are absolutely delighted that today is National Cheese Lovers Day. They're looking at me expectantly right now, wondering what kind of cheese we're going to eat first. Well, some of us didn't get this great day off (what's up with that!?) so I'm going to have to dash their hopes about sitting around and eating cheese all day.

But, in honor of such a momentous occasion, let's look at a recipe that is oh so yummy, easy and cheesy to boot. I give you Cheese Hand Pies!

Cheese Hand Pies

Pastry Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 tbs butter cut into blocks
1/2 tsp salt
1 small egg, lightly beaten
3 1/2 tbs milk
2 tsp white vinegar

Filling Ingredients (**you can fill these with anything, like apples and butter!)
3/4 cup cottage cheese (drained)
1/2 cup smooth ricotta cheese
2 tsp finely grated Romano cheese
pinch salt & pepper
2 small eggs
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp milk

Directions

1. To make the pastry, combine flour, butter and salt.
2. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it is crumbly.
3. Add the eggs, milk, and then vinegar. Mix well until the dough forms a loose ball. Flatten it slightly.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. To make the pastry filling, mash the cheeses together.
7. Mix in salt, pepper, paprika, and 1 egg.
8. In a separate bowl, whip the remaining egg and 1 tsp of milk together to make a glaze.
9. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8" thick.
10. Cut 4 inch rounds with a cookie cutter or a glass, cutting them as closely together as you can. Re-roll the scraps if you needed.
11. Brush around the edges of the pastry circles with the glaze.
12. Place about 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of filling in the middle of each round, spreading it out lightly into an oval.
13. Flip one half of the pastry over the filling to create a half circle.
14. Press the edges together to seal them and then fold them up and over to make a lip.  This will keep the cheese filling from leakingout.  You may need to stretch the ends slightly to make them  match up.
15. Place the pies on the baking sheet and brush the tops with glaze.
16. Bake for 20 minutes or until they are nicely browned on top and bottom. Let them cool slightly before eating, as they will be piping hot on the inside.
17. Enjoy!