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Cherry Hand Pie

Prep Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour
Servings: 6
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Dough
  • 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter very chilled or frozen
  • 1/2 cup cold water
Cherry Filling
  • 2 and cups pitted sweet cherries fresh
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • Small pinch of salt
For coating
  • 1 large egg beaten (for egg wash)
  • 1 tablespoon milk or cream or buttermilk
  • Turbinado sugar for garnish

Method
 

Make Filling
  1. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer, stirring almost constantly, until the mixture starts to thicken – about 6 minutes. I break a few of the cherries in half to have a variety of sizes but this is completely optional. Reduce heat to low and cook for another 2 minutes before removing from the heat. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cool to room temperature.
Make dough
  1. In a bowl combine flour, salt and granulated sugar and mix well.
  2. Grate your very cold or frozen butter into the flour mixture.
  3. Use a fork to mix it into the flour to form pea sized pieces.
  4. Slowly pour 1/2 cup of cold water into the flour and butter mixture and mix until combined and dough comes together, do not over knead.
  5. Form into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour. You can chill for up to 2 days.
Form Hand Pies
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. After dough has chilled, flour a work surface and a rolling pin and rolling out one disk into a rectangle, trim the edges if necessary to make the straight, you will be dividing this into 6 pieces so make sure it is big enough to cut out 6 large sized rectangles from it (which you will divide in half again to make 12).
  2. Tip: I fold my dough into thirds, make rough markings to help but my dough into 3 pieces, then cut each of those 3 pieces in half.
  3. Cut your 6 pieces of dough in half to form 12 pieces.
  4. Move the 12 rectangles to a parchment paper. 6 of these rectangles will be the top of your pastry and the other 6 will be the bottom of your pasty.
  5. Beat an egg and milk together and brush 6 of the 12 rectangles with the egg and milk mixture.
  6. Brush it on the bottom crusts evenly. You can cut out a shape from the top crust if you choose, like a small circle in the middle of the rectangle.
  7. Scoop cherry filling onto the bottom curst (the rectangles you brushed with egg wash) and top with the top crust, press the edges with your fingers first and then a fork to crimp the edges. It helps to dip the fork you use to crimp the edges in flour to help prevent sticking.
  8. Finally, brush the remaining egg and milk mixture on top of the pies and sprinkle with turbinado sugar for garnish and to add a lovely texture.
  9. If you didn't cut shapes into the top dough, you may cut slits at this point.
  10. Bake the pies for 18-22 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbly.
  11. This recipe will make 6 pies.