The concept of a hand pie is popular all around the world, from British pasties to Latin American empanadas to Haitian beef patties. Each one has the same core concept: a filling (often of meat) is wrapped in dough and then baked. In that same vein these Scottish hand pies, called forfar bridies locally, have a filling of beef and onions and a simple, homemade flavor that will have you reaching for a second or even a third pie. The lore of the unusual name isn’t fully known, but they hail from Forfar in Angus, a couple hours north of Edinburgh.

To make these little pies the best dough wrappers are the empanada discs that are sold in the freezer section of the grocery. And, for the best taste and texture make sure to get the ones that are made specifically for baking.

The discs made for frying aren’t as delicate and will end up slightly tough if you bake them since they are really different in texture. You can also use our shortcrust pastry recipe if you want to make the entire recipe from scratch.

The filling is quite simple, but you can always add on to it if you desire. You’ll want to make sure the edges of the pies are well-crimped so the pies don’t leak in the oven. Oh, and don’t use completely flat cookie sheets like I did. Instead use a baking pan with a bit of an edge so that if there are any leaks they don’t spill onto the bottom of your oven and make a bunch of smoke.

These Forfar bridie hand pies are excellent when dipped into a bit of mustard, ketchup, or even a bit of BBQ sauce. Or you can have them plain with a helping of mashed potatoes on the side. You really can’t beat the homemade flavor of these hearty little pies.