Description
These Cherry Hand Pies are delightful individual pastries filled with a sweet-tart cherry filling, encased in a flaky, buttery crust made with sour cream for extra tenderness. Perfectly portioned for sharing or a personal treat, they combine a homemade fruit filling with a delicate, flaky pastry, baked until golden and crisp. This recipe yields eight hand pies and takes about two hours from start to finish, including chilling and baking time.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 sticks (8 ounces) VERY cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup cold FULL FAT sour cream
For the Cherry Filling
- 2 and 1/2 cups pitted sweet cherries, fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
For Assembly
- 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- Turbinado sugar, optional (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Add the cold butter cubes and work them into the flour mixture using your hands or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, with pea-sized butter pieces still visible. Stir in the sour cream with a rubber spatula until the dough is shaggy but comes together. Turn the mixture onto a well-floured surface and knead a few times to bring it into one dough.
- Roll and fold the dough: Pat the dough into a 10-inch log, then roll it out into a 10" x 12" rectangle. Lightly dust both sides with flour. Starting at the shorter end, fold the dough into thirds like a letter. Flip it over and roll again into the same size rectangle. Fold in thirds again. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour to relax and firm up the butter.
- Prepare the cherry filling: Combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch, and lime juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring almost constantly, and cook until the mixture thickens, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl to cool to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven and prepare baking sheet: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Place a rack in the middle position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cut and assemble pies: Roll chilled dough into a large square about 1/8 inch thick. Using a straight edge and pastry wheel or knife, cut sixteen 3-inch squares. Arrange squares on the prepared baking sheet. On eight squares, use a small knife to make three tiny slashes for venting. Spoon 2 tablespoons of cherry filling onto the other eight squares. Match each filled square with a vented square, brush edges with beaten egg, and press sides together, crimping with a fork. Lightly brush tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if using.
- Bake: Bake the hand pies for 20 to 22 minutes, until they turn golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use very cold butter and sour cream to ensure a flaky crust.
- Folding the dough multiple times creates layers for a tender, flaky texture.
- You can substitute fresh cherries with frozen, just thaw and drain excess liquid before cooking.
- Allow pies to cool before serving to avoid burning from hot filling.
- Turbinado sugar on top adds a crunchy, sweet finish but is optional.
- These pies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen before baking for extended storage.
