Apple Hand Pies
Our apples are ripening, so we enjoyed cooking up our favorite hand pies this weekend! We have also shared a delicious maple glaze we started making during our syrup season! We grow two varieties of apples, Cortland and McIntosh. Cortland is our preferred apple for baking, but use your local favorite!
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Notes
Makes 8 hand pies
We use half & half or heavy cream to brush the tops of our pies and use a variety of toppings. A sprinkle of sugar or a drizzle of our maple glaze is wonderful!
I freeze two sticks of butter for the crusts during the time I prep my pie filling.
Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
Apple Pie Filling
2½ cups peeled and diced apples (We used Cortland)
1/4 cup sugar
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Steps
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a frying pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce, begins to caramelize.
2. Turn off the heat and allow the filling to cool for 20-30 minutes while you prepare your pie crusts.
*Preheat the oven to 375°F
Pie Crusts
We use our butter pie crust recipe for these hand pies. You will need to make two crusts. I double the recipe below, but make each crust separately.
½ cup of unsalted butter (8 tablespoons), cubed and frozen for 30 minutes
1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough (King Arthur All-Purpose is what I use)
½ teaspoon salt (I use French Grey Sea Salt in my bread and savory recipes. It will last several months!)
3 tablespoons ice water
Steps
1. Set up your food processor with the blade attachment.
2. Add all-purpose flour and salt. Cover and pulse twice to combine.
3. Add chilled butter cubes. Cover and pulse about 8 times or until the mixture looks crumbly.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of ice water through the feed tube. Pulse 8 times, add the remaining tablespoon of ice water, and pulse or switch to "on" until the dough comes together and forms a ball. (If making ahead of time, form dough into a rectangular shape, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.)
5. Lightly flour a work surface and turn your dough out. Form the dough into a rectangle.
6. Lightly flour your rolling pin and begin rolling out your dough. Turn your dough as you go to form a rectangle that is 14"X11"
7. You may make your hand pies into any shape you prefer, but I do not recommend going smaller than 3-3½ inches wide. If making rectangles, cut three lines 3½ inches apart and one across the center to form 8 rectangles. See the photos below for reference.
8. Transfer the first 8 rectangles to the prepared baking sheets. Repeat the above steps to create the top crusts for your pies.
Assembly
1. Add two heaping tablespoons of filling to the center of the 8 bottom crusts.
2. Top with your remaining 8 crusts. Pinch down the edges, and gently use a fork to seal each pie. Use a knife to cut a few vents into the top of each pie.
3. Lightly brush the top of each pie with half & half or heavy cream. Leave plain, or top with a sprinkle of sugar.
4. Bake at 375°F for 30-32 minutes. Ovens cook differently, so look for the tops to be lightly golden brown in color. Allow to cool a bit before glazing.
Maple Glaze
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons half & half, milk or heavy cream
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
Combine the above ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. If you would prefer a thicker or thinner glaze, add a bit more milk or powdered sugar. Drizzle glaze on top of your pies, and enjoy!
Our favorite tools, photos, and printable recipe card are below! Enjoy!
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