Hand Pies
Hand pies, fried pies, little pies, mini pies, Aussie pies, piroshkis, tarts, turnovers, empanadas, pie bites, individual pies – no matter what you call them – hand pies are easy to make and people love them!
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Like pie’s sibling cake, pies have gone smaller. Cakes are now cupcakes or cake balls. Pies are mini pies or hand pies. And that’s ok. Hand pies are no fuss, no cutting, no utensils, no plates. And they are very affordable and easy to make.
Ingredients
1 box pie crusts
1 can pie filling
1 egg, whipped
Sugar or Icing, if desired
Pie crust
Use your family’s favorite pie crust recipe or grab a box of Wal-Mart’s Great Value pie crusts.
Pie filling
Grocery stores sell pie filling which makes hand pies super easy. Our one suggestion is to add a little extra cinnamon to the apple if desired.
Homemade pie filling
Peach – one quart of peaches, sliced, with juice, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup instant tapioca. Simmer 5 minutes then let cool. Makes 12 6-inch hand pies.
Sweet cherry – one quart of pitted sweet cherries, 1/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch. Simmer 5 minutes then let cool. Makes 12 6-inch hand pies.
Raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, strawberry (or combination)- one quart mashed or blended (which is about 2 pounds), 1/2 cup sugar (or to taste), 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3 tablespoons cornstarch. Simmer 7 minutes let cool! Some people like to add lemon zest!
Pineapple – one large can crushed pineapple or one fresh pineapple blended to make one quart, sugar to taste, 3 tablespoons cornstarch. Combine bring to boil simmer 5 minutes Let cool
Jam – just use your favorite jam. Once baked it will be a little runny and delicious!
Frozen fruit – When berry season is over and fresh fruit is expensive look for frozen fruit. For example, 1 pound of frozen blackberries was $3.65 a pound but the fresh berries were 6-ounces for $4. A pound makes about 12 pies!
Choose a pan that heats evenly such as a Copper chef pan. Stir constantly with a plastic spatula. I use my Jam Maker for just about anything I make with fruit and sugar!
How to make hand pies
Step 1 –
Begin by dusting your surface with flour to avoid sticking. Using a dusted rolling pin, roll the crust. You will get 12 pies from the 2 pie crusts.
Step 2
Next, using the cutting side of your dough press cut out crust rounds. You can gather up the extra dough, knead it into a ball, and roll it out again for more pie crusts. Flip the dough press over and add your pie crust. Brush with whipped egg to help seal the edges. No dough press? You can also use a 5″ pan lid and fork.
Step 3
Now to add pie filling of your choice or mix and match fillings. Close the dough press to seal the edges.
Step 4
Once the pies crusts are sealed, place pies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place close together as they do not rise like cookies. Make a few little slits on each pie to allow steam to escape during baking.
Step 5
One last step before baking: brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar, if desired. You can also use mini cookie cutters to add a little embellishment!
Step 6
Bake at 350* for 15 to 20 minutes. After cooling you may glaze them or eat them just like they are!
You can make a few hand pies. You can make a large batch but with different fillings. You can make them ahead of time. You can make them and freeze them. You can make them for any occasion with any cookie cutter you have. Hand pies are perfect for dessert. They are great for school lunches. Hand pies are great for eating on the run!
