Venting your hand pies gives them a little breathing room, since things expand and contract while they cook and cool. A small slit on top of each hand pie allows the steam to escape during baking. Letting the steam out will prevent your pastry from puffing up too much or bursting open. You don’t need to do anything fancy—just a quick poke with a sharp knife right before they go in the oven does the trick.

Nobody wants a soggy snack! To prevent soggy hand pies, first make sure your filling isn’t too wet. Try to leave excess liquid at the bottom of the bowl when you’re scooping your filling. Also, make sure to let your oven preheat fully before putting anything in there! Baking at a high enough temperature will get you a crisp, golden crust. As a side note, I like to bake everything on parchment paper rather than on the pan itself, so nothing sticks. Save yourself some cleanup!

Absolutely—and I recommend it, especially if you’re having company. You can assemble your hand pies early in the day and keep them chilled until you’re ready to bake them. Alternatively, you can bake them fully and reheat before serving. I store mine at room temperature for 1 to 2 days. You can reheat them with a quick burst in the microwave or enjoy at room temperature. They hold up nicely and are just as delicious the second time around.

Yes they do! You can freeze them before or after baking. For unbaked hand pies, arrange on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then transfer to a freezer bag for storage. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time. To freeze pre-baked hand pies, make sure to let them cool completely before freezing! Thaw for a day or so and reheat in the oven or toaster oven when you’re ready to serve them.

If you have leftovers (which, I will say, is rare in my house), you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days. To reheat, just pop them in the oven for a few minutes to bring back that crisp crust. Warming them up in the microwave is fine, too. These make great little additions to your lunchbox if you’re packing a lunch!