Pie Friday: Cherry hand pies
24 Jun
Cherry Hand Pies
Yield: 7
Ingredients
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups sour cherries, stemmed and pitted
2/3 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1 package puff pastry
Flour
Egg whites
Demerara sugar
Directions
Mix the cornstarch with 1 1/2 tbsp of water and stir to combine. Set aside Combine sour cherries, dried cherries, sugar vanilla and salt in a saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cherry juices are released. Add cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil, stirring often. Remove the cherry mixture from the heat and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to an 10″ x 10′ rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into three 3″ x 10″ rectangles. Pour some egg whites from a carton (or use whites from a single egg) into a small bowl.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cookie with baking silicone or parchment paper and set aside. Working with one piece of puff pastry at a time, brush egg whites on all 4 edges. Spoon approximately 2 tbsp of the cherry filling onto one side and fold the dough over filling so the short ends meet, forming a 5″ x 3″ packet. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal and wipe away any excess cherry juice that squeezes out — otherwise it burns in the oven and doesn’t taste good.
Once the 7 hand pies are made, place them onto the cookie sheet and into the freezer for 10 minutes. After they’re chilled, remove them from the freezer and use a sharp knife to cut three slits in the tops. Brush each hand pie with egg whites then sprinkle with demerara sugar.
Bake for 30 minutes until the hand pies have puffed up and are golden brown. Cool completely and serve at room temperature.
(Adapted from Bon Appetit)
I realize cherry hand pies are quite the departure from the usual baked good for Fridays, but Ray and I had the opportunity to go sour cherry picking on Sunday (sour cherry season is very short). And we picked 25 pounds. Insane right? So far I’ve started a cherry liqueur, set aside 6 cups for Ray to bake a pie, made 2 pints of jam, and well, a great number of cherry hand pies (I tripled this recipe to make sure I had enough to feed the hungry taste testing masses).
I made several changes to Bon Appetit‘s recipe, based on the first batch I made as a test run. They suggest all butter puff pastry, which I’m sure is delicious, but I can never find. I also cut the pastry differently, but that was based on the original size of the pastry to begin with.
One lesson I learned the hard way: If the puff pastry isn’t unfolding without sticking, do not mash it together in the hopes of rolling it out fresh. Puff pastry is unlike other doughs I’ve worked with … it’s almost like it’s made of delicious rubber bands that don’t want to stretch out. I fought with it, beat it senseless, and the hand pies I made with that dough definitely show it. They’re not as puffed and light, but I’m hoping they still taste good (and luckily I have extras, anyway).
I’d like to make hand pies again, but I have a few changes I’d like to make: 1) make my own dough and 2) play around with shaping (maybe make them into little crescents? how cute!). Good thing blueberries are coming into season!
Cherry is not my favorite. To be fair, the only cherries I’ve ever had were candied maraschino cherries in Manhattans or the ‘tussin, so my concept of cherry flavor is of medicinal sucrose and booze. I wasn’t really excited to try this one.
Well, I was wrong to doubt. This pie is surprisingly good. I’m surprised at how fresh, sweet and especially tart the cherries taste. I’m surprised at how perfectly golden and flaky the crust was. But mostly, I’m surprised I ate cherries without bourbon. First time for everything.
That’s the joy of fresh-picked sour cherries. And sour cherries have an AMAZING flavor. I’d be curious to see what you think of the cherry liqueur I’m making.
My God, Melissa. This is so delicious. I just love stuff like this to begin with (as I said, can’t go wrong with puff pastry in my book), and this definitely does not disappoint. The filling is perfect. Slightly sweet and very tart – but not to “extreme pucker†levels. Yummm!
I was also pretty skeptical about the hand pies just because I am not big on pies in general. Despite my hesitations I was pretty sure it would be great because everything our lovely baker makes turns out pretty damn fantastic. And it is! Its very tart yet sweet cherry filling is a delight to the taste buds, especially when you get to the very epicenter of the pie where the mother load of cherry goodness lies. The flaky pastry is also very good, a perfect shell for the delights of the interior. Job well done…again!
I tried to save this until lunch, but it kept staring at me. Mmm! Love it. The filling is divine. Perfect sweet to tart ratio. I just had a Baked & Wired hand pie (cherry, actually) so I was psyched to compare. Overall, you dominate the filling. Baked & Wired had a super flaky crust, which was delicious, but probably had 4x the butter in it, so maybe we’re better off? I love the sugar on top.
Presentation? Love. Looking at the little package sitting on my desk, I had a flashback to 5th grade. Pretty cute wrapped in wax paper with my name on it.
Yum.
I knew it was going to be good when I undid the wax paper wrapping and I could smell the cherries. The flakiness of the crust was quite good, almost as good as my mom’s apple strudel. And the problem with so many pies & pastries is the overly sweetness of the cherries they use-thank you for striking the right balance between sweet and tart.
It was a nice break from the cupcakes!
I was excited to see the wrapped pie on my desk when I arrived this morning. I’m actually the opposite of Kyle when it comes to cherries (although, ‘tussin cherry is nasty). Let’s just say that I “love” them and have been known to continually order shirley temples at dinner or eat the maraschino cherries straight from the jar. Yes, of course, I love “real” cherries, too. I tried to hold off like Kate, but I was too hungry. And it was de-lish. Can’t really add on to the reviews…they were pretty accurate. Nice job!
I’m leaving you and eloping with one.
- The Huzz
This was a triumph. I’m making a note here: huge success.
This hand pie has redefined everything I thought I knew about cherry pie, and about Friday confections. If you do start a bakery, you must be sure to include this as a daily item!
As a partaker of this handpie
YEAH WOW DELICIOUS
Thanks for the snack!