This recipe provides instructions for making Glazed Apple Hand Pies, individual-sized pastries filled with a sweet and spiced apple mixture and baked or fried until golden brown and flaky. These hand pies are essentially miniature versions of apple pie, making them portable and perfect for a single serving. The filling typically consists of diced apples (such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or a combination), sugar, cinnamon, and sometimes other spices like nutmeg or allspice, thickened slightly with flour or cornstarch. The filling is encased in a flaky pie crust, often made from scratch or using store-bought pastry. After baking or frying, the hand pies are frequently glazed with a simple powdered sugar glaze for added sweetness and a glossy finish. These are a delightful treat for any occasion, offering the comforting flavors of apple pie in a convenient, handheld form. The image shows several golden-brown, crescent-shaped pastries nestled in a red and white checkered paper-lined basket. The pastries have a crimped edge, indicative of a pie crust, and a shiny, translucent glaze drizzled over the top. The filling is not directly visible, but the overall appearance strongly suggests individual fruit pies, likely apple due to the common pairing with glaze.
The filling of these hand pies centers around apples, which are peeled, cored, and diced. A variety of apples can be used, often chosen for their flavor and ability to hold their shape during cooking.
Sweetness in the filling comes from granulated sugar or brown sugar, or a combination of both, to taste.
The quintessential spice for apple pie is ground cinnamon, providing a warm and comforting flavor. Other spices like ground nutmeg, ground allspice, or a pinch of ground cloves can also be added for complexity.
A thickening agent, such as all-purpose flour or cornstarch, is mixed with the apple filling to absorb excess juices and prevent the filling from being too runny.
A touch of lemon juice can be added to the apple filling to brighten the flavor and prevent the apples from browning.
The crust is crucial for hand pies. It can be made from scratch using all-purpose flour, cold butter or shortening (or a combination), ice water, and salt, rolled out thinly and cut into circles or ovals. Alternatively, store-bought pie crust can be used for convenience.
The glaze is typically a simple mixture of powdered sugar and a liquid, such as milk, water, or apple cider, whisked together until smooth and drizzable. A touch of vanilla extract or a pinch of cinnamon can be added to the glaze for extra flavor.
The preparation involves making the apple filling by combining the diced apples with sugar, spices, lemon juice, and flour or cornstarch. The pie crust is rolled out and cut into individual portions. A spoonful of the apple filling is placed on one half of each crust circle or oval, and the other half is folded over to enclose the filling. The edges are crimped with a fork to seal. The hand pies can then be baked until golden brown and flaky, or they can be fried in hot oil until golden. After cooking, they are cooled slightly and then drizzled with the powdered sugar glaze.
Glazed Apple Hand Pies are best enjoyed warm, allowing the flaky crust and warm, spiced apple filling to be most appealing.
The texture is a delightful contrast between the flaky and slightly crisp crust and the soft, tender, and slightly chunky apple filling, all enhanced by the smooth, sweet glaze.
The flavor is a comforting and sweet combination of cooked apples, warm cinnamon and other spices, and the buttery flavor of the pie crust, with an extra layer of sweetness from the glaze.
Glazed Apple Hand Pies are individual-sized pastries with a sweet and spiced apple filling encased in a flaky crust and topped with a sweet glaze.
The preparation involves making an apple filling, encasing it in pie crust, baking or frying until golden, and then drizzling with a glaze.
Ingredients:
For the Apple Filling:
- 4 cups peeled, cored, and diced apples (about 4 medium apples)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (adjust to sweetness of apples)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the Pie Crust:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- ½ cup ice water (approximately)
- OR 2 boxes (14.1 ounces each) store-bought refrigerated pie crust
For the Glaze:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk, water, or apple cider
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
For Frying (if not baking):
- Vegetable oil or other frying oil
Equipment:
- Large mixing bowl
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Rolling pin
- 3-4 inch round or oval cookie cutter (or knife to cut shapes)
- Fork
- Baking sheet (if baking)
- Parchment paper (if baking)
- Large skillet or deep-fryer (if frying)
- Slotted spoon (if frying)
- Wire rack
- Small mixing bowl (for glaze)
- Whisk or spoon (for glaze)
Instructions:
- Make the Apple Filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced apples, sugar, flour or cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg (if using), and lemon juice. Toss gently to coat the apples evenly. Set aside.
- Prepare the Pie Crust (from scratch): In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Gradually add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough just comes together. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare the Pie Crust (store-bought): Let the refrigerated pie crusts sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes to soften slightly.
- Assemble the Hand Pies: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of homemade dough (or one store-bought crust) to about ⅛-inch thickness. Use a 3-4 inch round or oval cookie cutter (or a knife) to cut out several shapes.
- Fill the Pies: Place a spoonful or two of the apple filling on one half of each dough circle or oval, leaving a ½-inch border.
- Seal the Pies: Fold the other half of the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape. Press the edges together with your fingers to seal, and then crimp the edges with a fork to ensure they are tightly closed. Cut a small slit in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape during cooking.
- Bake the Hand Pies (Option 1): Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Place the assembled hand pies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crusts are golden brown and flaky.
- Fry the Hand Pies (Option 2): Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large skillet or deep-fryer to 350°F (175°C). Carefully add the hand pies to the hot oil (in batches if necessary) and fry for 3-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the fried pies with a slotted spoon and place them on a wire rack to drain excess oil.
- Make the Glaze: While the hand pies are cooling slightly, prepare the glaze. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk, water, or apple cider until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract (if using). Add more liquid, one teaspoon at a time, if needed to reach a drizzable consistency.
- Glaze the Pies: Once the baked or fried hand pies have cooled slightly, drizzle the glaze generously over the tops. Let the glaze set for a few minutes before serving.
Enjoy these delicious Glazed Apple Hand Pies warm!