These apple hand pies are about to become your favorite Thanksgiving recipe. The mini hand pies are basically like single-serving apple pies and couldn't be tastier.
Would it really be Thanksgiving if there wasn't some apple pie for dessert? An apple dessert is a must-have for my family during Thanksgiving. Over the years, apple desserts have taken different forms on my family's Thanksgiving table. It's been in classic pies, crumbles, and cakes.
Apple Hand Pie Recipe
These apple hand pies might be a little untraditional for Thanksgiving, but they have everything that you want out of a traditional pie. They are stuffed with a gooey apple filling and have a crust that is super flakey and buttery. The pies are also topped with a little turbinado sugar for a little extra sweetness.
The best part of these apple hand pies? You get one all to yourself. The mini pies are the perfect size for an individual portion, meaning you don't have to share.
Ingredients Needed To Make Apple Hand Pies
See below for all the details on what you'll need to make the full recipe.
Pie Dough
- All-purpose flour
- Butter - cold and cut into cubes.
- Ice water - keep it very cold with ice cubes.
Apple Pie Filling
- Apples - Roughly cut.
- Butter
- Lemon juice - Balances out the flavor of the sweet apples.
- Cinnamon - adds the signature fall flavors to the apples.
- All Purpose Flour
- Sugar
- Turbinado sugar - for sprinkling on top.
- Eggs
How To Make Apple Hand Pies
- Make the crust. Combine the flour and salt. Cut the butter into small cubes and try to keep them cold. You'll want to work fast. Add the cubed butter to the flour, tossing in the flour mixture. Once the pieces are covered, use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour. Make a well in the middle of the bowl, pour the ice water into the middle of the well, and start to slowly incorporate the flour. If you need more water, add 1 tablespoon at a time. Form the dough into a ball and form it into a flat disc. Wrap completely in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a half hour.
- Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare two sheet pan with parchment.
- Make the apple filling. In a saucepan, add the roughly chopped apples, butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix everything together until the butter has melted. Then, let the mixture cook until the apples are tender, about 25-30 minutes. When the apples are tender, add the remaining sugar and flour. Mix until thick and then remove from heat.
- Shape the dough. Roll out the dough. Sprinkle flour on a clean work surface and roll out the dough until it is about ¼ inch thick. Using a cookie cutter or a knife, cut out equal squares and circles. Place the cutout pieces on a sheet pan and place them back in the refrigerator to chill for a few more minutes.
- Add the apple mixture. Fill the pies. Then, take equally cut pieces and fill the bottom half with the apple filling, about 1 tablespoon. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Seal the pies. Place the top pieces of the pies on top of the filling, making sure everything is fully covered. Use a fork and crimp the edges together. When the two pieces are together, use a knife to cut two small slits in the top piece.
- Add the egg wash and sugar. Scramble the egg and add a splash of water. Brush the hand pies with the egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
- Bake the hand pies. Place in the oven on a middle rack and bake the hand pies for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pie dough starts to turn a golden brown. Let cool completely before eating.
FAQs
Can I leave the skin on apples for apple hand pie?
Don't bother leaving the skin on for the apple hand pies. The skin will leave a bitter taste and won't result in that thick, luscious filling.
What kind of apples should be used for apple hand pies?
There are varieties of apples that work better when baking. Granny Smith Apples.
Honeycrisp or Golden Delicious will be a good choice to go with.
Why is the filling falling out of my apple hand pies?
If you find the filling is falling out of the apple hand pies, chances are you overfilled them. The dough could also be loose and not sealed tightly around on the edges.
Apple Hand Pies
These apple hand pies are about to become your favorite Thanksgiving recipe. The mini hand pies are basically like single-serving apple pies and couldn't be tastier.
Ingredients
Pie Dough
- 1 and ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- ¼ cup ice water
Apple Pie Filling
- 3 apples roughly cut
- 3 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top
- 1 egg plus some water for an egg wash
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the flour and salt. Mix to combine.
- Cut the butter into small cubes. Try to cut the pieces fast because you want to keep everything as cold as possible. If they start to get soft during the process, stick them back in the refrigartor for a few minutes.
- Add the cubed butter to the flour, tossing each piece so it is fully covered in the flour mixture. Once the pieces are covered, use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour. You want the flour to look like long flat long pieces, similar to "walnut halves."
- Next, make a well in the middle of the bowl. Pour the ice water into the middle of the well and start to slowly incorporate the flour. Make sure it is fully distributed. You want the flour to be damp and not wet. If you need more water, add in 1 tablespoon at a time. If the dough starts to get sticky, you've added in too much water. When ready the dough should start to stick together.
- When the dough starts to come together, start to form the dough into a ball. You can lightly knead it to help it come together. Try and do this quickly, as you are trying to keep the butter cold. The dough should come together, but still have butter pieces visible.
- Form the dough into a flat disc. Wrap completely in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a half hour.
- While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare two sheet pan with parchment.
- Next, make the apple pie filling. In a saucepan, add the roughly chopped apples, butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix everything together until the butter has melted. Let the mixture cook until the apples are tender, about 25-30 minutes.
- When the apples are tender, add in the remaining sugar and flour. This will quickly thicken up the mixture. Mix until combined. Take the apple mixture off the heat.
- Time for the dough. When the half-hour is up, roll out the dough. Sprinkle flour on a clean work surface and roll out the dough until it is about ¼ inch thick. Using a cookie cutter or a knife, cut out equal squares and circles. Place the cutout pieces on a sheet pan and place back in the refrigerator to chill for a few more minutes.
- When the apple mixture is cool, fill the pies. Take equally cut pieces and fill the bottom half with the apple filling, about 1 tablespoon. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Place the top pieces of the pies on top of the filling, making sure everything is fully covered. Then take a fork and crimp the edges together. It's okay if some of the filling falls out. When the two pieces are together, use a knife to cut two small slits in the top piece. This will allow for steam to come out when cooking. If the dough starts to look warm, place it back in the refrigerator to chill for a few more minutes.
- Scramble the egg and add a splash of water. Brush the hand pies with the egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
- Place in the oven on a middle rack (Don't put them on the bottom, they will burn). Bake the hand pies for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pie dough starts to turn a golden brown. Let cool completely before eating.
- Serve the hand pies warm or at room temperature. Store in an air-tight container. They should last 3-5 days.
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