Best Easy Fruit Hand Pies Recipes

EASY FRUIT HAND PIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Separate the biscuits. Dust a work surface with flour and roll each biscuit round into a 6-inch circle (about 1/16 inch thickness). Place 2 teaspoons cream cheese and 2 teaspoons jam on one side of the dough round. Brush the outer edge of the pastry round with egg wash. Fold one side over the filling and crimp the edges with the tines of a fork. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Brush the entire pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Cut a slit in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape as they bake. Repeat the process with the remaining biscuits. Bake until golden brown, about 16 minutes. Serve warm.

BLUEBERRY HAND PIES

Steps:

• For the filling: Combine the blueberries and granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar is melted and the berries have started to burst, a few minutes. Stir together the cornstarch and lemon juice in a small bowl until combined, then add to the blueberry mixture. Add the lemon zest and vanilla and continue to cook until glossy and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the pastry: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• To make the pies, unfold the thawed pastry and roll out to 10-inch squares if necessary. Cut each square in quarters, making four 5-inch squares from each. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons of cooled filling onto one corner of each square. Brush around the squares with the egg wash. Fold the pasty over the filling on each to make a triangle, pressing lightly to remove any air pockets. Crimp the edges shut with a fork. Put the pies on the prepared baking sheets. Brush the tops of the pies with the egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet.
• For the glaze: Mix the powdered sugar, vanilla and 1/3 cup cold water in a bowl until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the pies and let set until dry.

FRUIT-FILLED HAND PIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together fruit, sugar, orange zest and juice, salt, and cornstarch; mix until well combined. Set fruit mixture aside.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one piece of dough to a 16-by-11-inch rectangle. Trim to 15-by-10 inches. Cut into six 5-inch squares. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour. Working with one square at a time, place 2 tablespoons of reserved fruit mixture in the center. Brush two connecting edges with beaten egg and fold on the diagonal over the filling, pressing to seal. Repeat process with remaining squares.
• Repeat entire process with remaining pate brisee. Place hand pies on prepared baking sheet. Brush pies with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Using a pair of clean scissors, snip the center of one side of each hand pie to allow steam to escape.
• Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake until crusts are golden brown and filling is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve warm.

APPLE HAND PIES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
• Cut peeled and cored apples into quarters, cut each quarter into 3 wedges, and cut wedges into chunks.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; let butter brown to a light golden color and until butter smells toasted, about 1 minute. Stir apples into hot butter; sprinkle with salt, white sugar, and brown sugar. Cook and stir apple mixture until apples are softened, about 5 minutes. Mix in cinnamon and water; continue cooking until apples are soft and sticky, 1 to 2 more minutes. Spread apple filling onto a plate to cool.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Form a dough piece into a ball, place on a floured work surface, and roll into a circle about 8 inches in diameter. Spoon 1/3 to 1/2 cup apple filling in the center. Fold dough over filling, leaving about 1 inch of dough on the bottom side visible below the top side. Gently press dough closed around filling, using your fingertips.
• Fold the overhanging bottom part of the dough up over the top edge, working your way around the crust, and pinch the overhang tightly to the top part of the crust.
• Crimp the edge tightly closed, pinching a little bit of dough with the thumb and forefinger of one hand and using your index finger on the other hand to push a small notch into the pinched dough. Continue pinching and notching all the way around until the crust is tightly crimped together. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Transfer pies onto prepared baking sheet.
• Whisk egg with milk in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Brush top of each hand pie with egg mixture and sprinkle with about 1/4 teaspoon white sugar. Cut 3 small vent holes in the top of each pie.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pies are golden brown and filling is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

EASY APPLE HAND PIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil.
• Mix apple pie filling, 3 tablespoons cinnamon, and allspice in a bowl until well combined. Lightly whisk egg and water together in a small bowl.
• Gently unroll each pie crust and cut into quarters; you will have 8 pieces of dough. Put 4 pieces on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon about 1/4 cup filling onto the centers of those pieces, leaving 1/4 inch around the edges uncovered. Cover each filled quarter with a top crust and press the edges together to seal. Roll the edges up and over, and crimp them with a fork. Cut 3 slits for ventilation in the top of each pie with a sharp knife.
• Brush egg wash over top crusts and all edges. Sprinkle tops with cinnamon, sugar, and salt.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Cool on rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

FRIED FRUIT PIES

Steps:

• Mix together the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender, fork, your hands, or whatever method works best for you, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Stir together the beaten egg with the water and sprinkle over flour mixture. Sprinkle in the vinegar, mixing lightly, until ingredients are well combined.
• Form the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
• In a nonreactive pan on very low heat, simmer the dried fruit in the water for 30 to 45 minutes, or until very tender. Add water if necessary to prevent scorching. Allow to cool; mash fruit slightly.
• Stir in the sugar and spices. This step of the preparation may be done in advance and refrigerated; however, warm up the fruit (microwave is fine) enough to take the chill off and make it workable before filling your pies.
• Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and cut it into four equal pieces. You can then cut each of the four pieces into three equal pieces, leaving you with 12 golf-ball-size dough balls.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a 5- to 6-inch circle. Your circles don't have to be perfect, and ragged edges are okay.
• Put about 2 generous tablespoons of filling onto one side of the circle of dough. Seal the pie by wetting the inside edge of the dough with water (use your finger) and then fold over the dough, making the familiar half-moon shaped pie. Make sure the edges of the dough are even, and press and crimp to insure a good seal. You can use a fork to give you a bit of a decorative edge if you like. You can also correct the more ragged edges during this step because the dough is pliable. Just make sure the filling is sealed in and that any holes in the dough are crimped.
• Using a deep fryer set at 350, carefully lower the pies into the oil, one at a time. Cook until they turn a nice even golden brown in 3 or 4 minutes. You don't have to worry about cooking the filling -- it's already cooked. The frying process is merely cooking the dough.
• Drain on paper towels.