SALTED CARAMEL APPLE HAND PIES

SALTED CARAMEL APPLE HAND PIES image

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

Ingredients:
For the dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup cold sour cream
For the filling:
2 cups small diced (peeled) Granny Smith apples (See Kelly's Notes)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
8 store-bought soft caramels, roughly chopped
Large flake sea salt (See Kelly's Notes)
Egg wash (1 egg lightly whisked with 1 Tablespoon water)
Crystal sanding sugar (optional)

Steps:

Dough: Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder in large bowl. Add cubed butter to bowl,use fingers to work butter into the flour until mixture is consistency of wet sand. Stir in sour cream (dough will be very wet), then turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead dough a few times until comes together, adding more flour, 1 teaspoon at time, if dough is too sticky to handle. Roll dough into an 8x10-inch rectangle, dust both sides with flour before folding it into thirds as if folding a letter. Rotate dough 90º, roll it out again into 8x10-inch rectangle. Fold the dough again into thirds, wrap securely in plastic wrap, refrigerate it for 30 mins while you make filling. Filling: In small bowl, combine apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar & flour, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Set aside. Assemble pies: Preheat oven 425ºF. Remove dough from refrigerator. Unfold it onto well-floured surface, roll it into a 14x14-in square. Using 3-in circular cookie cutter or cup, cut as many circles as possible. Re-roll the scraps and continue cutting out circles. Make sure you end up with even number. (should have approx 20 3-in circles.) Place six of dough circles on Silpat or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Spoon small portion of apple filling into center of each circle, leaving enough of a border around filling. Top apple filling with portion of chopped caramels and pinch of sea salt. Place second dough circle atop each filled circle, use fork to crimp edges together, sealing each pie. Brush pies with egg wash, using sharp knife, cut 2-3 vents on top of each pie. Sprinkle with crystal sanding sugar (optional) Bake pies for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove pies from oven, allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Note: The cubed apples should be no larger than size of corn kernels to ensure they become tender during the quick 15-minute bake time.