Apple Hand Pies
Apple Hand Pies are perfect to bake for the Fall season.
Apples are in abundance at the Farmers Market and at the Apple Orchards this Fall, and who doesn’t love Apple Pie?
Creating Apple Hand Pies is great if you have kids or you are having a gathering by the bonfire. No plate or fork needed, just grab one and go. They are great to add into the kids school lunches or have on hand for an easy after school snack. They won’t last long!
Apples are the star of the show in this recipe so the question is: “What variety should you use”? I like to use locally grown Apples and here in Minnesota, where I live, there are a lot of varieties to choose from. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has developed a lot of special Apple varieties. Honey Crisp is probably the most well known for it’s sweetness. For Pie, or in this case, Handheld Pies, select a variety that is slightly tart and meant for baking. I selected Haralson for my Apples. If you go to an Apple Orchard in your area, look for Apples noted for their quality when using them for baking. They need to slice well and not be overly sweet.
APPLE HAND PIES
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups Baking Apples, peeled, cored, and diced
- 1 (8 oz.) Packaged Cream Cheese, softened
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- 3 Tablespoons Cold Butter, cut into 24 small pieces
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 Cup Sugar-plus extra for sprinkling on top
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon-plus extra for sprinkling on top
- 1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1/4 Teaspoon Allspice
- 1 Egg White
Directions:
Making the Dough comes first.
1. Place the Cream Cheese and 1 Cup Softened Butter in a large mixing bowl and combine with a hand mixer until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl stir together the Flour and Salt then slowly add it to the Cream Cheese and Butter mixture stirring well with a wooden spoon until it is all combined and forms a dough.
3. Divide the dough in half and shape the dough into two small disc shapes and wrap them in plastic wrap. Then place them in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
4. Peel and core the Apples. Dice the Apples into small pieces as you see here and transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Add 1/4 Cup Sugar, Nutmeg, Allspice and 1 teaspoon Cinnamon to the Apples and stir with a spatula to combine. Set aside and Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
5. Divide each Dough disc into 12 balls.
6. On a floured surface, roll out each Dough ball into a flat circle about 4-5 inches in size. Don’t get the Dough too thin and trust me, they do not have to be perfect circles. I think when making these types of desserts/snacks, that they should look somewhat rustic. It gives them more character and that true homemade appeal. After all, if you want a perfect manufactured shape, you should probably just buy a Hand Pie at a fast food joint. These are much better and made with love in your own kitchen!
7. Get the Egg White ready by whisking it and have a pastry brush on hand. Put 1 heaping tablespoon of Apple mixture in the center of one Dough circle. Next, dot the top of the Apples with one piece of the Cold Butter. Brush the edges of the Dough with the Egg White and seal the edges by rolling the edge up slightly and pressing down.
8. Continue until all your pastries have been filled and sealed. Now brush the tops of your hand pies with the remaining Egg White.
9. Next sprinkle the tops of the Apple Hand Pies with a bit of Cinnamon and Sugar. Just eyeball it. Cut 3 very small slits in the top of each hand pie with a paring knife.
10. Place the Hand Pies on 2 large baking sheets and pop them in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. You are looking for the pastry to be golden brown and a little hint of bubbly Apple mixture peeking out. All ovens cook differently so it may take you 15 minutes to bake these. Mine took about 15 minutes but keep an eye on them, just like regular Apple Pie, you don’t want them to get overdone or have a burnt crust.
11. When the Apple Hand Pies are done, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack.
Recipe by: Hot Dish Homemaker
