Description
Delightful sour cherry hand pies deliver a tantalizing blend of tart cherries nestled in buttery, flaky pastry. Sweet-tart filling and crisp crust create a perfect handheld dessert you’ll savor with pure culinary joy.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups pitted sour cherries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 ½ cups (226 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 tbsps (90 ml) ice water
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsps coarse sugar (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Dough Preparation: Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Integrate cold butter using a pastry cutter until mixture resembles sandy crumbs. Introduce ice water gradually, blending until dough forms a cohesive mass.
- Dough Chilling: Divide dough into two flat discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up the texture.
- Cherry Filling Creation: Combine cherries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, allowing cherries to release juices for 5 minutes. Mix cornstarch with water, then fold into the mixture to enhance thickness.
- Filling Finalization: Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until reaching a jam-like consistency. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract, and cool completely.
- Dough Rolling and Cutting: Roll chilled dough on a flour-dusted surface to a thin layer. Cut precise dough portions using a circular or rectangular cutter, placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Pie Assembly: Spoon cherry filling onto half of each dough round, leaving a small border. Brush edges with egg wash. Overlay a second dough round, pressing edges with a fork to seal. Create small ventilation slits on top.
- Finishing Touches: Brush pies with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
- Baking Process: Bake hand pies for 18-22 minutes until golden and crisp. Alternatively, for a different texture, deep-fry at 350F (175C) until exterior becomes crispy.
- Serving Preparation: Allow pies to cool slightly. Optional: Drizzle with powdered sugar glaze for added sweetness and presentation.
Notes
- Chill Dough Thoroughly: Refrigerate pastry dough for at least 30 minutes to prevent shrinking and ensure flaky, tender texture during baking.
- Manage Moisture Carefully: Control cherry filling’s consistency by gradually adding cornstarch, preventing runny or overly thick filling that could compromise pie structure.
- Create Clean Seals: Press fork edges firmly and brush with egg wash to guarantee tight hand pie seals, preventing filling leakage during cooking.
- Adjust for Dietary Needs: Substitute all-purpose flour with gluten-free blend and use cold vegan butter for dairy-free version, maintaining similar pastry texture and richness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 348
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 165 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 33 mg