I’ve always considered myself more of a cook than a baker. The reason is simple: I’m not great at following directions. I also prefer improvisation and developing the dish as I go, adding more salt and spices here and there. But with baking, you must be precise and oh so exact with your measurements, which always requires a little more of my concentration. So for a non-baker like myself, I started small (literally) with these mini hand pies.
The instructions look long, but if I can follow them, you can too. For the filling I picked seasonal fresh fruit, cranberries, pears and apples, but you can fill these little guys with just about anything. A savory, cheesy pie is up next on my list, bacon might also be involved.
Serve these hand pies as a Thanksgiving dessert alternative with a scoop of ice cream. They are so little (and cute), your guests won’t be able to say no. Enjoy!
Directions for the dough:
Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the cubed butter to the bowl and use your fingers to work the butter into the flour until the butter is completely incorporated. Mix in the sour cream with your hands (the dough will be very wet), and then turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Knead the dough a few times until it comes together, adding more flour if the dough is too sticky to handle. Roll the dough into a large circle and dust both sides with flour before folding it into thirds. Fold the dough again into thirds then wrap it securely in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes while you make the filling.
Directions for the filling:
Combine the cranberries, brown sugar, orange juice and zest, cinnamon and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have burst and the sauce has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely. The sauce can be made and refrigerated up to 4 days in advance. Peel the pears and apples and chop into small pieces, the size of corn kernels. In a large bowl mix the fruit with the flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon.
To assemble:
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unfold it onto a well-floured surface, rolling it out to a 14×14-inch square. Using a 3-inch circular cookie cutter or cup, cut out as many circles as possible. Re-roll the scraps and continue cutting out circles until you run out of dough, ensuring you end up with an even number of circles. (You should have approximately 24 3-inch circles.)
Place seven of the dough circles on a foil or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Spoon a small portion of the cranberry filling into the center of each circle, leaving enough of a border around the filling. Top the cranberry filling with a mix of apple and pear pieces. Place a second dough circle on top each filled circle then use a fork to crimp the edges together, sealing each pie.
Brush each pie with the egg wash, and using a sharp knife, cut two or three vents on the top of each pie. Sprinkle the pies with sugar. Bake the pies for about 15 minutes, or until they’re golden brown.
- Instructions for the dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- ½ cup cold sour cream
- egg wash - 1 beaten egg and 1 tablespoon water
- Instructions for the filling:
- 2 cups of whole cranberries
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange juice and zest of 1 orange
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 2 pears, peeled and chopped into small pieces
- 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Directions for the dough:
- Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the cubed butter to the bowl and use your fingers to work the butter into the flour until the butter is completely incorporated. Mix in the sour cream with your hands (the dough will be very wet), and then turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Knead the dough a few times until it comes together, adding more flour if the dough is too sticky to handle. Roll the dough into a large circle and dust both sides with flour before folding it into thirds. Fold the dough again into thirds then wrap it securely in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes while you make the filling.
- Directions for the filling:
- Combine the cranberries, brown sugar, orange juice and zest, cinnamon and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have burst and the sauce has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely. The sauce can be made and refrigerated up to 4 days in advance. Peel the pears and apples and chop into small pieces, the size of corn kernels. In a large bowl mix the fruit with the flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon.
- To assemble: Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unfold it onto a well-floured surface, rolling it out to a 14x14-inch square. Using a 3-inch circular cookie cutter or cup, cut out as many circles as possible. Re-roll the scraps and continue cutting out circles until you run out of dough, ensuring you end up with an even number of circles. (You should have approximately 24 3-inch circles.)
- Place seven of the dough circles on a foil or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Spoon a small portion of the cranberry filling into the center of each circle, leaving enough of a border around the filling. Top the cranberry filling with a mix of apple and pear pieces. Place a second dough circle on top each filled circle then use a fork to crimp the edges together, sealing each pie.
- Brush each pie with the egg wash, and using a sharp knife, cut two or three vents on the top of each pie. Sprinkle the pies with sugar. Bake the pies for about 15 minutes, or until they're golden brown.
longlivethenoms says
December 3, 2014 at 3:20 amI love these! The perfect size, and they look they would fit any occasion. Great work!