Apple Hand Pies
Apple Pie Filling Ingredients:
6 cups peeled, cored and diced Johnagold apples
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
Apple Pie Filling Instructions:
Make sure the apples are cut into ¼” to ½” pieces for best results. To a large mixing bowl, add the apples, sugar, flour and spices and stir. Set aside until ready to construct hand pies.
Flaky, Buttery Pie Crust Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into Tablespoon chunks and frozen
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
½ cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Flaky, Buttery Pie Crust Directions:
Cut butter into Tablespoon-size chunks and place in freezer for 20 minutes or until butter is very cold and hard. Place frozen butter cubes into a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, sugar, salt, buttermilk and vanilla. Using the dough hook on an electric mixer, stir the dough ingredients on low. Once the ingredients start to come together, turn up the speed on the mixer to medium and continue mixing until it forms a ball. Remove ball of dough from the bowl, wrap in plastic or place in a plastic bag, and place in the refrigerator until ready to use (minimum 20 minutes). This recipe will make about 12 each 5” circles dough for hand pies.
Garnish Before Baking:
Egg wash: One egg plus one Tablespoon of water.
Cinnamon/Sugar Combo: 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
Construction of Apple Hand Pies:
Remove dough from refrigerator, cut the ball of dough in half, and shape each half of dough into thick discs until ready to roll. On a lightly floured surface, roll on half of the dough into a large circle. Using a 5” biscuit cutter, press out 5 or 6 circles of dough. Reserve any extra dough from the cut outs to be re-rolled later. Repeat with the second half of dough. Re-roll any remaining dough for one or two additional crusts.
Using your finger or a pastry brush, coat the outer rims of the dough circles with water. Place ¼ cup apple pie filling on one half of the dough circle. Picking up the dough and apple combo, hold the pastry like a taco and, using your fingers, distribute apples along length of the hand pie. Pinch the crust on one end to seal and continue across the pie. Hand pie should look like a half moon. Coat the top crust with egg wash and sprinkle generously with cinnamon and granulated sugar combo. Make sure there are vents in the top of the pie. Place a baking sheet under the pie and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.
To serve: wait until pies have cooled slightly, then either eat them using your hand or plate them with powdered sugar, homemade caramel sauce and ice cream or whipped cream.
You can find Chef Char and this dessert at the Muskegon Farmers Market on most Saturdays throughout the summer and under her vending tent at Taste of Muskegon on June 14 and 15 in Hackley Park in Downtown Muskegon. Visit her at the cooking demos at Taste of Muskegon for helpful cooking tips.
https://www.tasteofmuskegon.org/cooking-demonstrations
