Apple Hand Pies

Apple Hand Pies are made with homemade apple pie filling inside homemade pie crust or biscuit dough.

Course Breakfast or Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine American, Southern

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 3

Total Time 33

Servings pies

Calories 91kcal

Author Jessica Robinson

Equipment

Ingredients

Apple Pie Filling

5 medium/large apples Granny Smith & Macoun
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼-1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Homemade pie crust or biscuit dough

Instructions

Apple Pie Filling

Peel, core and chop the apples into small pieces. Melt the butter in a 10-12 inch skillet or Dutch oven. Cook the apples over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes or until soft. Sprinkle with brown sugar, sugar, and lemon juice while they cook.
Stir with a wooden spoon occasionally, making sure they do not burn.
Dissolve the cornstarch in about ¼ cup of cold water. Stir to combine.
Pour in the cornstarch mixture once they are almost done and let cook to thicken the apples and juice. The pie filling will need to bubble up around the edges for the cornstarch to properly thicken.
Remove from the heat and add the cinnamon, nutmeg and stir to combine. Let the pie filling cool completely.

Apple Hand Pies

Roll out your biscuit dough or pie crust on a lightly floured surface, into 4-6 inch ovals, about ⅛-1/4-inch thick.
Scoop about 1 tablespoon or so of the cooled pie filing in the center of each round.
Fold over, lightly press down on the filling and the edges. (Lightly wet edges with water, using your fingertip if needed) Crimp the edges of the dough with a floured fork.
Or cover the sheet pan loosely with plastic wrap and place into the freezer for later use. Overlap them slightly on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer. Cover the tray loosely with plastic wrap.
Place uncooked pies on a half-sheet pan which is lined with parchment paper. Place the entire tray into the refrigerator while the oil heats.
Fill a fry pan with about 2-3 inches of canola oil. Heat the oil until very hot (about 370 to 375 degrees F).
Place only a few hand pies in the hot oil at a time, as to not overcrowd the pan or let the oil cool. Fry until they are brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes.
Remove from the hot oil and let drain on paper towels on a half-sheet pan. Sprinkle with granulated sugar or dust with powdered sugar while they are still warm.
Or drizzle each hand pie with a simple glaze. Let dry slightly before handling.
These are best served warm. Delicious served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with warm caramel sauce.

Video

Notes

Hand Pies

Assemble AHEAD of time. Overlap them slightly on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer. Cover the tray loosely with plastic wrap.

Thawing

Remove the plastic wrap that was covering the tray and discard it. It will have extra moisture you DO NOT want!

Let them thaw, uncovered in the refrigerator overnight OR on the counter for 1-2 hours. You still want them very cold when frying.

Cooking

Use canola oil heated to 375 degrees. This is so the pies do not absorb any odd flavors.

OR bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven. Place hand pies on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush with an egg wash and sprinkle with a little bit of sugar. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the pie crust is golden browned.

Monitoring the oil temperature

If you do not have a thermometer. You can test if the oil is hot enough by sprinkling a tiny bit of flour off of your fingers into the center of the oil. If the flour bubbles out to the edges of the pan quickly, the temperature is ready.

Nutrition