BLOODY PIZZA "HAND" PIES

Bloody Pizza

These freaky little snacks are stuffed with classic pizza flavors and ooey, gooey cheese. Perfect for all the ghosts and goblins at the Halloween celebration.

Provided by Lasheeda Perry

Time 30m

Yield 10 hand pies

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small red onion (about 2 ounces), finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 whole roasted red pepper, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon tomato paste
One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
One 14-ounce package refrigerated pie dough (see Cook's Note)
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1 large egg
50 whole blanched almonds

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the roasted red pepper, garlic and Italian seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic has softened, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste until well combined. Add the tomato sauce, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, 3 to 4 minutes (you should have about 1 cup sauce). Remove from the heat and fold in the Parmesan.
Unroll the pie dough onto a clean surface and roll out to a 12-inch circle. Stamp out 20 hands with a 3 1/2-inch hand-shaped cookie cutter and transfer to a work surface. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the pizza sauce into the palm of 10 hands, making sure to leave a border around the edges. These are the bottom hands. Top the pizza sauce in each with 1 teaspoon of mozzarella.
Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl; brush onto the edges and fingers of the bottom hands then top each with a top hand. Firmly seal each set of hands together by pressing with your fingers. (It's ok if some of the sauce seeps out, you can dab it up with a paper towel. You just want to make sure that the pies are completely sealed shut.) Brush the top hands with more egg wash then transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
Press an almond onto the nail bed of each hand. Bake until the dough is golden brown, and the almonds have toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. Spoon the remaining sauce into a serving bowl and serve alongside the hand pies.