Description
Delight in these homemade Cherry Hand Pies featuring a flaky buttery crust filled with a luscious cherry filling and topped with a sweet cherry glaze. Perfect as a charming dessert or snack, these hand pies combine tender pastry with the bright flavors of fresh or frozen cherries for a crowd-pleasing treat.
Ingredients
Pastry
- 120 mL ice cold water
- 300 grams all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 227 grams salted butter (cold, cubed)
- 1 large egg (for egg wash)
Cherry Filling
- 1/2 lb cherries (fresh or frozen)
- 25 grams granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cornstarch (double if using frozen cherries)
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 2 Tbsp cherry sauce juice (from the sauce)
Cherry Glaze
- 120-180 grams powdered sugar (spooned and leveled)
- Cherry sauce juice (from the filling, amount adjusted as needed)
- Red sprinkles (optional, for decoration)
Instructions
- Prepare the Pastry: Add the ice cold water to a measuring cup and freeze it for a few minutes to achieve a very chilled temperature.
- Chill the Flour and Butter: Place the flour in the food processor bowl, then put the entire bowl in the freezer while you cube the salted butter. After cubing, add the butter to the chilled flour bowl and return to the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Make the Dough: Remove the bowl from the freezer, secure it in the food processor, and pulse until the mixture forms pea-sized chunks. While pulsing, slowly stream in the frozen water until the dough just comes together, avoiding overworking it.
- Form Dough Discs: Remove the dough from the food processor, gently press together to combine, split into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour to chill thoroughly.
- Prepare Cherry Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine cherries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, almond extract, and cherry sauce juice. Heat over low-medium heat until simmering, then reduce to low and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture thickens into a sauce.
- Cool Filling: Remove saucepan from heat and transfer the cherry filling to another bowl to cool faster.
- Roll Out Dough: Take half of the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Roll it out on a floured surface to about 1/8 inch thickness into a rectangle. Trim edges for neatness and cut into 3×4 inch rectangles. Reserve any leftover dough.
- Assemble Hand Pies: Place about 1 tablespoon of cherry filling on half of the dough rectangles, leaving a 1/4 inch border. Top each with another dough rectangle. Seal edges with a fork and prick the tops with holes to vent.
- Egg Wash and Freeze: Beat the egg and brush a thin, even layer over the top of each hand pie. Freeze for 15-20 minutes until the pies feel firm to the touch.
- Bake Pies: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) conventional. Bake the hand pies for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely before glazing.
- Repeat Preparation: Repeat the rolling, filling, assembling, and baking process with the remaining dough. Press together leftover scraps, wrap tightly, chill for 20 minutes before using. Avoid reusing scraps more than once to prevent toughness.
- Make Cherry Glaze: In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar with cherry sauce juice from the filling to make a smooth, thick glaze resembling frosting. Adjust powdered sugar amount based on thickness desired.
- Glaze and Decorate: Spread the cherry glaze over the cooled hand pies and sprinkle with red sprinkles if desired.
- Dry and Serve: Allow the glazed hand pies to air dry for a few hours before packing or stacking to set the glaze.
Notes
- Use frozen water when making the pastry dough to ensure the butter stays cold and the crust remains flaky.
- If using frozen cherries, double the cornstarch to adequately thicken the filling.
- Handle the dough gently and avoid overworking to prevent tough hand pies.
- Freezing the assembled pies before baking helps them maintain shape and texture.
- Allow hand pies to cool fully before glazing to prevent melting the glaze.
- Store finished hand pies in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
