Apple Hand Pies
Whether you’re packing school lunches or serving up Sunday supper, a batch of homemade apple hand pies will surprise your loved ones.
Servings Prep Time
8pies 30minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20minutes 90minutes
Servings Prep Time
8pies 30minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20minutes 90minutes
Ingredients
For the Crust:
  • 2 1/2cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2teaspoon salt
  • 16tablespoons unsalted butter(2 sticks or 8 ounces) cut into pieces
  • 1/2cup sour cream
  • 5teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2cup water
For the Topping:
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2tablespoons water
  • turbinado sugarfor sprinkling
For the Filling:
  • 4 medium-sized apples
  • 3/8cup sugar
  • 1tablespoon flour
  • 1/2teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Place the sliced butter in another bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for 1 hour.
  2. Remove the bowls from the freezer and make a well in the center of the flour. Add the butter to the well and, using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
  3. Make another well in the center of the mixture. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice, and water and add half of this mixture to the well. With your fingertips, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Remove the large lumps and repeat with the remaining liquid and flour-butter mixture.
  4. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  5. Divide the refrigerated dough in half. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one half of the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Using your desired pastry cutter, cut circles out of the dough and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes.
  6. Repeat the rolling, cutting, and chilling process with the remaining dough.
  7. While the dough circles are chilling, make the filling. Core, peel, and chop the apples into tiny pieces, much smaller than the chunks required for a normal-sized pie. Put these pieces into a large bowl, and add the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Toss together.
  8. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature until just pliable, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon of filling (more if your circles are larger) onto one half of each circle of dough.
  9. Quickly brush a little cold water around the circumference of the dough, and fold it in half so the other side comes down over the filling, creating a semicircle. Seal the hand pie, and make a decorative edge by pressing the edges of the dough together with the back of a fork. Repeat process with remaining dough.
  10. Place the hand pies back on the parchment-lined baking sheet, and return to the refrigerator to chill for another 30 minutes.
  11. Heat oven to 375°F. Beat together egg yolk and water in a small bowl. Remove the chilled hand pies from the refrigerator, cut a few small slits in each, and lightly brush with the egg yolk wash.
  12. Sprinkle sugar generously over the pies, and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.