Fall-Spiced Apple Hand Pies
Serves 8
Crust
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup shortening or unsalted butter
- 2/3 to 3/4 cup cold water
Filling
- 8 medium apples, I recommend a variety of firm apples. The photos above use Jonagolds and Macs.
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup flour or cornstarch
- Caramel sauce (optional) (I like the one from the Joy of Cooking)
Topping
- 1 egg whisked with a Tablespoon of water
- Demerara/raw sugar
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.
Make crust. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter or food processor, cut in shortening until mixture resembles damp sand. Add water, a little bit at a time, until dough sticks together. You will want it slightly more elastic than crust for a pan pie. Break dough into two evenly sized pieces, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator up to a day in advance.
Prepare filling. Peel, core, and dice apples into small chunks. In a large mixing bowl, combine diced apples with lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and flour. Mix well, until all apple pieces are coated.
Line two rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Remove crust from refrigerator. Cut each ball of dough into four equal pieces. On a well-floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a 7 to 8 inch square. Place dough on cookie sheet. Using a slotted spoon, scoop filling into the center of the square. If desired, drizzle caramel sauce generously over filling.
Fold dough over filling, so top portion of crust is about 1/4 inch shy of the edge of the bottom. Fold up bottom crust to meet top crust and pinch/crimp to seal. Repeat for remaining pies.
Whisk together 1 egg with 1 Tablespoon water. Brush egg wash generously over pies. Sprinkle the top of each pie with a small amount of demerara sugar.
Place cookie sheets in oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, until filling bubbles and crust is golden brown, rotating pans halfway through cooking time.
Cool pies on wire rack prior to storage. To store, wrap in tin foil and place in refrigerator for up to one week. Serve cool, or reheat for 10-15 minutes in a 350 degree F oven.
