Hand Pies

Sometimes you just need a little something sweet in the middle of the day.  Jasper starts school tomorrow and I spent some time today making hand pies for his lunches. With only a tablespoon of filling it's not quite a dessert, in fact I think they'd also make a great breakfast treat as well. Because Jasper has a dairy allergy, I substitute rice milk to seal the edges and brush the dough, but my recipe tutorial will list the real stuff.

Apple Hand Pies

Yields 12

Prepare pastry dough for a double crust. I use an all shortening version.

1 cup vegetable shortening, very cold.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Using a pastry blender or two butter knives to cut the shortening into 1 inch pieces.  Combine the dry ingredients and add them to the shortening.  Continue cutting the mixture until pea size, and dry.  

Add:

1/3 cup ice water

Cut until the dough begins to form, it should not be sticky. If too dry add more ice water, 1 tbsp at a time.  

Once combined, form two balls, press them into disks, wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

While the dough is chilling, Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchement or a silicone baking mat.

Make the apple filling.

You'll need:

5 apples (Gravenstein, Pippin, Golden Delicious), peeled and diced

4 tbsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon 

Combine ingredients and cook over medium heat until very tender.  The juices will combine with the sugar and caramelize the apple.

Set aside and allow to cool.

Flour your work surface and roll out one of the dough disks to large rectangle about 1/4 thick. Cut into 6 inch squares.  Dollop a tbsp of filling into the center of the square.

Brush the outside edges of the square with milk and fold into a triangle.  Using a fork, crimp the edge of the dough. Transfer to the baking sheet and baste the top of the pies with a little more milk and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Repeat.