Hand Pie Recipe

Mix dry ingredients

Whisk together the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl or in the bowl of a food processor.

Cut in fats

Add the cold butter cubes (and optional cold shortening). Use a pastry cutter, two knives or pulse in the food processor until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining.

Add liquid and form dough

Whisk the egg with the ice water and vinegar. Drizzle about half of this liquid over the flour mixture and gently fold with a spatula until pieces start to come together. Add more liquid a tablespoon at a time until dough holds when gently pressed but is not wet. Do not overwork.

Divide and chill

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, gather into a disk about 7" wide, flatten slightly, wrap tightly in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour (up to 48 hours). If making ahead, you can freeze for up to 1 month.

Prepare fruit

Peel, core and dice apples to roughly 1/2" pieces so they cook quickly and evenly.

Cook filling

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until juices thicken and apples are just tender, about 6–8 minutes. Stir in butter until melted. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature; the filling should be thick but still spoonable.

Adjust consistency

If the filling seems too runny after cooling, stir in up to 1 additional teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in a teaspoon of cold water, then briefly reheat and cool. You want a filling that won’t overly leak when baked.

Temper eggs and thicken

In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Slowly whisk in about 1/2 cup of the milk to make a smooth paste. Whisk remaining milk into the saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and just comes to a boil (about 6–8 minutes).

Finish pudding

Remove from heat. Temper the egg yolks by whisking a few tablespoons of the hot milk mixture into yolks, then whisk yolks back into the pan. Return to low heat for 30–60 seconds while stirring, then remove. Stir in butter and vanilla. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface to prevent skin from forming and cool to room temperature.

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove chilled dough from fridge and let sit 5–10 minutes to soften just enough to roll.

Roll and cut dough

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8" thickness. Using a round cutter 3 1/2"–4" in diameter (or a template), cut out circles. Re-roll scraps once to maximize yield to get about 12 circles total.

Portion filling

Place about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of cooled filling (fruit or pudding) in the center of half the circles, leaving a 1/4" border. Do not overfill to avoid leaking.

Seal hand pies

Brush the edges of the filled circles with a little beaten egg wash. Place a second dough circle on top, press edges to seal, and crimp with a fork or use a decorative edge. Use a small sharp knife to cut 2–3 small vents in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape.

Egg wash & finish

Whisk the egg and 1 teaspoon cold water. Brush each hand pie with egg wash and sprinkle coarse sugar on top if desired.

Bake

Arrange pies on prepared baking sheets leaving 1" between. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 18–22 minutes, rotating halfway, until golden brown and filling bubbles through vents. For fruit pies, watch for bubbling; for pudding pies, browning of crust indicates doneness.

Cool

Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Cool 20–30 minutes before serving so fillings set; serve warm or at room temperature.