Apple Hand Pies
62 comments » 
Apple Pie: rustic, flaky, tart, and spicy. The most iconic of American traditions.
These marvelous little pies package up the best parts of apple pie, eliminate a lot of the work, and deliver scrumptious, addictive fruit-wrapped-in-crust that can be stowed away in your pocket for safe keeping. Hand pies have been making their way around the blog universe since the beginning of summer, it seems, and I’ve been meaning to make them but never quite got around to it. So when Annie asked if I was interested in making the Bourbon Peach Hand Pies that were featured on smitten kitchen, I was intrigued. While I’m not much of a peach fan, I figured I could use Deb’s dough recipe and sub in my own apple filling, which is what I did.
These hand pies are a fantastic option for changing up the traditional slice of pie and ice cream and would be especially welcome as a dessert at an outdoor gathering or one that included small children. And really, for the kid in all of us – what’s much better than a slice of apple pie that you can pick up and carry around with you?
The dough for this recipe is really just incredible. I admit that I was somewhat skeptical at first, as it contained sour cream. I had never heard or seen sour cream used in a pie or pastry dough before, so it certainly caused me to raise an eyebrow. But like the good trooper that I am, I forged ahead. The dough takes some time to prepare, so make sure you have 2-3 hours of available time (most of it is inactive chill time) prior to baking the pies. While it may be a slight inconvenience, it really is what makes this dough so spectacular. The repeated chills give this dough such an incredibly buttery, flaky texture, much like that of a laminated dough you would create for croissants. It is absolutely worth the time to prepare these – you won’t be sorry!
If you just happen to be asking yourself if these little hand pies would make a perfect breakfast pastry, well then, the answer is a resounding YES! Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything… I’m just saying…
Apple Hand Pies
Yield: 20 hand pies
Prep Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 to 40 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
2½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
½ cup sour cream
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
½ cup ice waterFor the Filling:
2 apples, peeled, cored and diced small
1/3 cup sugarOne egg yolk beaten with 2 tablespoons water (for egg wash)
Coarse sanding sugar, for decorationDirections:
1. To make the pastry, in a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Place the butter in another bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for 1 hour. 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. Make another well in the center. 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. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. If preparing ahead of time, the dough can be stored at this point for up to one month in the freezer.
2. 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 a 4 1/2-inch-round biscuit cutter, cut seven circles out of the rolled dough. Transfer the circles to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and place in the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes. Repeat the rolling, cutting, and chilling process with the remaining half of dough. (I used a 4-inch cutter-if you can call a "cutter" the tin edge of the container that holds my smaller round cutters-and managed to get 12 from each dough half, after rerolling the scraps.)
3. Mix the diced apple with the sugar, and cook over low heat for 8-10 minutes, until the apples are tender. Set aside. Prior to preparing the pies, drain any accumulated liquid from the apples.
4. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature until just pliable, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon about 1 to 2 tablespoons filling (use the smaller amount for a 4-inch circle) onto one half of each circle of dough. 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. Place the hand pies back on the parchment-lined baking sheet, and return to the refrigerator to chill for another 30 minutes.
5. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the chilled hand pies from the refrigerator, cut a small slit in each and lightly brush with the egg yolk wash. Sprinkle sanding sugar generously over the pies, and place pies in the oven to bake. Bake until the hand pies are golden brown and just slightly cracked, anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes, depending on how thick you rolled the dough. Remove the pies from the oven, and let stand to cool slightly before serving.
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
print
save
email
That’s some gorgeous pastry – LOVE the sugar sprinkle! I bet they’d make a really awesome just got home from work snack too – I’m on my way over.
Reply
They look great! I wish I had been able to take a pic of the inside to better show the pretty, flaky crust but I didn’t want to interrupt things with our guests
Great process pics too!
Reply
Oh, these look delicious. I could eat way, way too many.
Reply
These look so good and flaky! I’ve been wanting to make these ever since Deb posted them. I’m thinking about making them next weekend for an event I’m baking for, so hopefully I’ll get to try them soon
Reply
Hand pies just make everyone happy
I;m glad to see the pastry is without shortening as a lot of pie doughs require them. I remember eating the mini ones from my cafeteria as a kid, but I bet these are ten times better.
Reply
I love the idea of handpies – little mini pies!
Reply
I love mini desserts and these pies are so adorable. I love the flaky crust and the apples look fantastic!
Reply
All I have to say is…YUM!!!! I love baked apples
Reply
How adorable, they look fantastic!
Reply
These look like a perfect way to use up the rest of my apples!
Reply
what a gorgeous pastry! I love the pic!
Reply
Wow! This is amazing! I can’t wait to try this. I’m Hispanic and am wondering if you have ever done any Mexican pastries like empanadas, pumpkin being my favorite, since it’s very similar to these apple hand pies.
Reply
Wow. I’m drooling! These look amazing.
+Jessie
a.k.a. The Hungry Mouse
Reply
I tried making these and while the recipe was fantastic and easy, I found that 2 apples were not enough (maybe mine were smaller than the ones you used). I do plan on trying this again with more filling (and more variations on the filling)!
Reply
mandy on January 10th, 2011 at 8:14 pm
Kay- I was worried about the quantity as well. I found that dicing the apples REALLY small helped spread it out more- also I used the 4″ cutter so that may have helped.
Reply
Agh you’ve been baking so many delicious tempting things! I totally have to try this too. Your hand pies look just perfect. I love the flakey dough mmm.
Reply
mmmm i love hand pies!
Reply
It looks like you made holes in the top of the pies before baking. I didn’t see that in the instructions. Did you make a steam hole?
Reply
Hi Amy,
I did make a steam hole in the top of the hand pies – just a slit using a paring knife. I will go back and edit the directions. I hope you enjoy these!
Reply
I was wondering if you could use a regular blender instead of a pastry blender?
Reply
Hi Alisha,
Actually a pastry blender is just a handheld gadget that cuts butter into a flour mixture. You can see one here:
http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=broeyebak-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000QJE48O
If you don’t have one you could simply use two knives or even your fingers to combine the flour mixture and butter.
Let me know if you have any additional questions!
Reply
I just made these today, I was telling myself I would never do them again (because they DO take a lot of time) until I tasted one of them right out of the oven… Oh my god, flakiest crust I’ve ever tasted in my life. Thank you so much for the recipe! I did add a little bit of cinnamon because I love it. And used a couple more of apples.
Reply
I made a batch of these last night for dinner guests. They were everything you said they would be. The recipe is simple, produces the flakiest pie crust and has maximum flavor.
FYI, I did not chill the dough as directed; no time & in a hurry (guests arriving). The dough was just stickier to work with but for the effort, I still got great results. I would suggest using an empanada press to make the mini pies. They come in various sizes up to 7.5″. I’ve never had much luck with pies but feel encouraged to make them after my foray with these mini pies. The crust is the secret ingredient to this recipe. Adding cinnamon to the apples as they cook was also a winner. I’m new to your site but am very grateful for the time you take to share with us. Thank you.
Reply
Pingback: Star Spangeled Bonanza! – Independence Day 2010 « Very Vegan Holiday
Pingback: Apple Hand Pies « A Wedded Life
WOW! These are definitely a lot of work with the preparation of the dough, but they’re so delicious that they’re worth the effort. Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
Reply
Michelle on September 14th, 2010 at 10:48 am
You’re welcome Felicity! Glad you found them to be worth the effort
Reply
Pingback: 50 Fall Recipes (that are not apple pie) | Brown Eyed Baker
Absolutely adorable! These liitle pies a fabulous! AND the pastry cutter that you use in this post is amazing!!!! Where did you find such a great pastry cutter with a long handle on it? My pastry cutter is one of my most favorite tools in the kitchen so I am immediately attracted to yours….:-)
Reply
Michelle on September 14th, 2010 at 10:47 am
Hi Avril, That pastry cutter is from Pampered Chef. It’s great!
Reply
Nicole on May 20th, 2012 at 11:02 pm
Check out the pamperedchef website and you can order the pastry cutter
http://www.pamperedchef.biz/nicolehelmer
Reply
These look great, and I really want to try them, but I have a question, when you say “remove the large lumps” after adding 1/2 of the liquid, do you literally mean remove them to a separate bowl?? I was slightly confused on that part and found your directions not very clear.
Also, could the dough be made in a food processor?
Reply
Michelle on November 14th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
Hi Roberta, Yes, remove them to a separate bowl, then proceed with the next half. Then combine everything (including original lumps) into a ball.
Although I haven’t, I don’t see why you couldn’t use a food processor for the crust. Just pulse in short bursts so you don’t overwork the dough.
Reply
These look scrumptoius! I have an event in 2 days & want to make these. I also want to make the peach filling. Any suggestions where to find a really good peach filling recipe? (peaches aren’t in season yet, so.. no fresh ones.)
Reply
Michelle on February 27th, 2011 at 9:35 pm
Hi Jana, Hmm I’m not sure, could you use frozen peaches? Sometimes they have them in the freezer section with the frozen fruit. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be sure about a peach filling unless you bought it canned or jarred?
Reply
Ok..so I’m a guy..and a single Faza..and I like to keep the food I serve fresh and relevant for my boys, who are also athletes. These delicious treats are the perfect before a game snack because they are light and contain all of the requisite nutrition. I made them and they were everything promised in the recipe and more. This is the ideal method to make puff pastry as is it much less work and far less time consuming. I follow sk and have never been disappointed with any recipe.
My mind is replete with the many, many filling possibilities for these pocket rockets.
This recipe is outstanding.
Thank you .
SR
P.S. – I used Progressives Dough press set to make these. And I ran some home made caramel over the top after they cooled. Just met-in-your mouth delicious.
Reply
i love em! Just finished a batch for the 4th of July, the crust is so worth the time!!!! Thank you for sharing!!!!
Reply
The dough you made looks beautiful! Would you have any idea if it could be used for a full-sized pie (providing I made enough dough)?
Reply
Pingback: The Weekend Dish: 9/10/2011 | Brown Eyed Baker
Do you think these would these freeze well after baking?
Reply
Michelle on September 12th, 2011 at 1:41 pm
Yes, definitely!
Reply
These were fantastic! My only complaint was that it was hard to fit a lot of apples in there: although before baking the pies were bursting with filling, after they were baked there was a lot of empty space. Delicious crust, though!
Reply
My mouth is watering already. I’d like to make these today, but don’t have sour cream on hand. Do you think plain Greek yogurt would work in place?
Reply
Michelle on October 31st, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Hi Chelsey, Usually that’s a good substitution, but I haven’t used it here, so I can’t guarantee the results.
Reply
Pingback: Pumpkin Soup with Apple & Spices | Brown Eyed Baker
I followed your instructions closely (minus using a pastry blender because I don’t have one.) It took a lot of effort and time to cut the butter into the flour, it was very frozen. When it came time for me to roll the dough out, it was waaaay too wet to work with, and I just about gave up. I had to add a ton of flour more than what your recipe called for, and I’m stumped at what went wrong.
Reply
Pingback: 50 Best Citrus and Fruit-Based Recipes | Brown Eyed Baker
Pingback: 12 Favorite Apple Recipes
Pingback: 12 Favorite Apple Recipes | Biz Chicks
Holy Smokes! I just made these today to take to a clambake. They came out picture perfect…BEAUTIFUL! So light and fluffy. I will definitely be making this again. I added some lemon juice, cinnamon & about 1.5 teaspoons of Minute tapioca when I cooked the apples. Perfect! Thanks!!
Reply
These look fantastic! I’m thinking about making them for an upcoming bake sale. Any tips on how to store these babies??
Reply
Michelle on September 26th, 2012 at 10:45 am
Hi April, I would store the in an airtight container to transport, but otherwise would just cover them in foil. Too much time in an airtight container or under plastic wrap can cause the “crust” to get soft.
Reply
I am going to make these. They made my mouth water. YUM!
Reply
These little pies taste great and are fun to bake! I tend to share my baking with the neighbors and were all addicted! I made them three days in a row to satisfy everyone’s cravings! Soooo good!
Reply
Pingback: Apple Hand Pies « My Ninja Naan
I made these this past Friday and we finished them all in less than 2 days! The pastry was AMAZING! Totally worth the time and effort! I just made a blogpost about it too because it’s going into my keeper file
http://myninjanaan.wordpress.com/2012/10/07/apple-hand-pies/
Reply
Pingback: Coffee, McSweeney’s and writing « The Wilder
Pingback: Mushroom Lasagna Recipe | Brown Eyed Baker
Pingback: What I Wish I Was Making For Thanksgiving « oh so decadent
Hey, Can you use pre-made puff pastry for this? I run a bakery out of my house, and sometimes I just make puff pastry in bulk and use that over a week.. Thanks! -IsraeliBaker
Reply
Michelle on November 27th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Yes, you could use puff pastry as the dough here. Enjoy!
Reply
I made these for a Super Bowl party last year for some friends who don’t like apple pie (blasphemy!). Instead, I made a mixed berry filling and they were amazing.
I’m making some now for National Pie Day with an apple filling. I cooked it with some butter, lemon juice, cinnamon, brown sugar and granulated sugar, plus a bit of corn starch. It’s delicious and tastes a little like caramel apple.
Reply