Pie Season!
There are so many foods that we automatically associate with summer, and one of those foods is PIE!!! Pie is one of the best foods on earth and can be taken in so many different directions. One of my personal favorites is cherry pie, so I decided to bring some Cherry Hand Pies to my blog!
Making a whole pie or eating a hefty slice of pie can be a lot to take in. Sometimes you only need a little bit of it to satisfy your craving, which is why hand pies are so great! They’re small, easily transportable, and still have everything you want from a pie!
These Cherry Hand Pies have a flaky, buttery outer crust and are filled with sweet, juicy cherries! The pie crust recipe is brought to you by Sweetish.co and it’s definitely a great recipe to follow if you’re looking to make some pies. The 4th of July is rapidly approaching and these Cherry Hand Pies would make for a great dessert! Don’t forget to top these babies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream because, well, why not?! I’m pretty sure vanilla ice cream on top of any warm dessert is guaranteed to make it taste 100 times better!
Keepin’ it Real
I’m not gonna lie, I’m kind of at a loss as to what else to say. Most of my life now consists of working and trying to get my life together. When something new happens, it kind of jumbles my everyday patterns. So now I’m trying to find a balance between working, eating healthy, having a good sleep schedule, exercising, making time to talk to friends and family, working on my blog and recipes, running errands, and finding time for myself.
This probably sounds like a first world problem to many adults. Trust me, I know. I just wanted to be real and let you all know where I’m at. I’ve also kinda forgotten how physically draining it can be to be on your feet all day everyday. When I get home from work, I just want to collapse onto the floor and never get up again LOL! Regardless, I enjoy my new job and know it’ll only go up from here.
Thanks for Tuning In
I know this post was a little short and weird. We started off on a high note with lots of energy about pie and then I went on to talk about how tired I am. Listen, I never claimed to be a great writer. If you read any of this, thanks for sticking with me through this short and horribly written post. Though my writing is a mess, I promise these Cherry Hand Pies are not. Again, thanks for tuning in and I’ll catch you in my next post!
Cherry Handpies
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust
- 2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 3 tbsp Cold Water (may need a little more or less depending on your environment)
- 3/4 cup + 1/2 tbsp Cold Unstalted Butter (1 1/4 sticks + 1/2 tbsp) (diced)
For the Cherry Filling
- 2 cups Quartered Cherries (pits removed)
- 1/2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1/2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 3 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 tsp Salt
For Assembling the Handpies
- Egg Wash (1 Egg + 2 tbsp water whisked)
- 2-3 tbsp Demerara Sugar (raw sugar)
Instructions
For the Pie Crust
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add in the cold diced butter and use the tips of your fingers to begin working it into the dough. Continue to combine the butter and flour until you get pea and walnut halve sized pieces of butter. Add in the water and mix it into the dough. Knead the dough until it comes together in one ball, adding more or less water if necessary. Flatten the dough into a disk shape and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place it into the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes.
For the Cherry Filling
- In a medium sized bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the cherry filling. Mix until the ingredients have been evenly incorporated. Set aside for later.
To Assemble the Handpies
- Lightly dust a clean surface with flour. Unwrap the dough from the plastic wrap and lightly dust the top of it with flour. Roll out the dough until it is 1/8th inch thick. Use a ring cutter that is about 4 1/2 inches in diameter to cut out about 12 circles. Alternatively, you can use a bowl with the same diameter and trace a knife around it. Place the circles of dough onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Reserve the remaining scraps of dough.
- Add a heaping tablespoon of the cherry filling mixture to the center of each circle of dough. Fold one side of the dough over until it aligns with the other side. Use a fork to crimp the edges together.
- Combine the remaining scraps of dough into a ball and roll it out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut 24 thin strips of dough that are each about 8 inches long. Roll each strip into a rope shape. Take two of the ropes and begin twisting them together to form a braid-like design. Brush the crimped edge of the pie with the egg wash. Lay the twisted rope over the crimped edge and press the ends into the dough. Cut off any excess dough. Repeat this process with the remaining handpies.
- Brush the surface of the handpies with the egg wash. Use a paring knife to cut three small slits into the tops of the handpies. Sprinkle some of the demerara sugar onto the tops of the handpies.
- Place the handpies into a preheated 400˚F oven. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until the crust becomes golden brown. Remove the handpies from the oven and allow them to rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
