Apple Pies recipe

• The ingredients required for making an apple pie hand pie filling include unsalted butter, brown sugar, diced apples, and a mix of the ground, warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.
• For the filling, in a pan heat the unsalted butter until frothy.
• Add the diced apples to cook until they turn slightly soft. Stir in brown sugar and spices such as ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.
• Mix all the ingredients together such that the apples are truly well-coated with spices and sugar.
• Bring it to a low heat boil for some 2 minutes until the liquid is absorbed, then remove from the heat and let the filling cool down.

How to cut the hand pie circles

• I used a 4-inch round cutter to cut out the hand pies. I don’t recommend going any smaller than 3 1/2 inches as it will be tough to fit enough filling inside.
• Once you have your hand pie circles cut out, you can take the remaining dough, knead it gently and roll it out to make more pies. Count how many circles you’ve cut, then divide them in half-one half for the bottoms, the other half for the tops.
• Using a sharp paring knife, cut a small in the center of each top half’ this will let steam out as they bake.

Fill the hand pies

• Spoon the apple pie filling onto the bottom halves of the dough circles, leaving a small, 1/4-inch border around the edges. Gently place the top dough circles over the filling and press around the edges with your fingers to seal them.
• Crimp edges with a fork to ensure the pies do not open while baking. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon of water. Brush over tops of hand pies for that golden-brown finish.
• If desired, sprinkle sugar on top before baking. This is one step you may want to skip if you are going to add homemade caramel afterwards.
• Bake the hand pies in a preheated oven at 375°F for 27 to 30 minutes, until golden on top.
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How to make homemade caramel

The ingredients I use to make my homemade caramel are granulated sugar, water, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and some optional kosher salt (for salted caramel).

• In a heavy-bottomed skillet, combine water and granulated sugar. Place over medium heat and allow the mixture to heat, occasionally stirring, until the sugar is dissolved and begins to boil.
• In about 15 minutes, the sugar will start changing color. Once the color has reached golden amber, pull the skillet off of the heat.
• Meanwhile, warm the heavy cream and vanilla extract in another container.
• Off the heat, carefully pour in the warmed vanilla cream, stirring briskly. Be careful, mixture will bubble and steam quite violently. Continue to stir until the caramel smooths out and thickens to a rich consistency.
• For salted caramel, add a pinch of kosher salt. Keep the caramel warm until the apple hand pies are ready for serving.

Can You Freez Apple Pies Recipe

Cool Completely: Allow the hand pies to cool down completely before freezing. This will prevent condensation and help the crust stay crispy.

Pre-Freezing: Line the cooled hand pies in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze for about 1-2 hours, or until solid. This step helps them hold their shape.

Packaging: Place pre-frozen hand pies in airtight container or resealable freezer bag, removing as much air as possible to avoid freezer burn.

Label and Date: Label the container or bag with the date so you can tell how long they have been in the freezer. Apple hand pies will keep in the freezer up to 3 months.

Reheating: When serving, reheat the frozen hand pies from the freezer directly. Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C/375°F for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches your desired level and the crust becomes crispy.

FAQs for Apple Hand Pie Recipe

1. Which apples are good to use in a hand pie?
Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, and Fuji apples hold flavor and texture nicely.

2. Can I use store-bought pie dough?
Of course-store-bought pie dough is an easy shortcut, and homemade works too.

3. How can I avoid leaks?
Seal pastry edges with a fork, and cut slits in the top to let steam out.

4. Can I freeze hand pies?
Yes, cool the hand pies completely, then freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Reheat at 375°F for 15-20 minutes.

5. How do I make caramel sauce?
Melt granulated sugar until golden, then stir in warmed heavy cream and vanilla extract. For salted caramel, add kosher salt.

6. How long do I bake them?
Bake them at 375°F for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

7. Can I use other fruits?
Oh yes, you may substitute the apples with berries, peaches, or pears.

8. How to get the golden finish?
Brush with an egg wash before baking-a beaten egg mixed with water.

9. My dough is so sticky. What to do?
Flour your rolling pin and surface or chill dough for ease of handling.

10. How shall I store leftovers?
Keep in an air tight container in room temperature up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.

Apple Pies Recipe

HEALTH PULS

Now, get the ultimate apple pie recipe with a tender, flaky crust and luscious apple filling. Perfect for any occasion, this guide will also teach you how to make hand pies using either store-bought or homemade dough, and even a delicious caramel sauce. Go old school with a few of those classic flavors, real easy.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Equipment

• Cookie Cutter 2, 3, 4 and 5 Inches, Round Metal Baking Rings
• Wüsthof Classic 3 1/2″ Paring Knife
• Sauce Pan Enameled Cast Iron 2.5-Quart
• Williams Sonoma Goldtouch® Corrugated Nonstick Half Sheet Pan

Ingredients

  

Apple Pie Hand Pies

• 2 apples (choice, peeled, cored, and diced into 1/4 inch cubes (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 11/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon  ground cardamon
• 2  pre-made pie crusts (room temperature, rolled out)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon water

Homemade Caramel

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 tbsp kosher salt

Instructions

 

Apple Pie Hand Pies

• In a skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter until it becomes frothy. Add the diced apples, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Stir until the apples are well-coated. Let the mixture reach a soft boil for 2 minutes; then, stir and let it get taken off the heat. Set it aside to cool.
• Roll out your pie dough until it's thin. Using a 4-inch round cutter, cut the dough into 10 circles. If you don't get 10 circles from one sheet, gather the excess dough, re-roll it, and cut the additional number of circles.
• 56 wordsHumanize AICount how many circles you've cut and divide them in half. Half will be for the bottoms of the apple hand pies and the other half for the tops. Take the top circles and, with a very sharp paring knife, cut a small '+' sign in the center to allow steam to escape during baking.
• Count how many circles you've cut and divide them in half. Half will be for the bottoms of the apple hand pies and the other half for the tops. Take the top circles and, with a very sharp paring knife, cut a small '+' sign in the center to allow steam to escape during baking.
• In a small bowl place the 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon of the water. Whisk these two ingredients together until combined. Brush this egg wash over the tops of the apple hand pies.
• If desired, you can sprinkle the top of the hand pies with sugar, but if you plan on adding home-made caramel later on, then you can skip that step.
• Bake in a 375°F oven for about 25-30 minutes, until golden brown on top of the apple pies.
• Remove the hand pies from the oven after baking and let them cool completely on a rack. You want them to cool thoroughly so when you drizzle with caramel, it does not melt off in any way.

Homemade Caramel

• In a small saucepan, gently warm the heavy cream and vanilla extract.
• Combine the water and granulated sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, placing it on medium heat. Allow the sugar to dissolve and the mixture to come to a boil. In about 15-20 minutes, the sugar should start to change color. It must be taken off the heat at a golden amber color.
• Off of the heat, whisk in the warmed vanilla cream in a slow stream. Expect the mixture to bubble and steam quite a bit. Whisk in the butter until the caramel is smooth and thick into a rich consistency. If you want salted caramel, now is the time to add kosher salt to taste and stir.
• Allow the caramel to remain warm on the side while baking hand pies.

Notes

Apples:
Any variety apple will work, but I’m particularly fond of Honeycrisp apples. To use in the apple filling for these miniature hand pies Dice apples into 1/4-inch pieces. See the guide in the post for detailed steps and photos on how to dice apples.

Pie Dough:
Store-bought pie dough is really convenient and easy to use, but if you have your own pie dough recipe, then use that by all means. If using the store-bought variety, take the pie dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature before working with it for flexibility, which will help prevent the dough from breaking or tearing. Thin out the dough by using a rolling pin because this will allow for more hand pies; lightly flour the rolling pin as needed when the dough starts to stick.

Pie Dough Cutter:
A 4-inch round cutter is what I used to cut out the hand pies. This is the smallest size you would want to use, actually 3 1/2 inches is the bare minimum for being able to get enough filling inside.

Caramel:
Cook caramel in heavy-bottomed saucepan, preferably either enameled cast iron or thick non-stick. Note that during cooking, sugar is going to crystallize and set onto inside rim of pan. That is completely normal, but makes clean up much easier if you soak pan in warm, soapy water.

Storage:
These Apple pie hand pies are best enjoyed fresh from the oven, but these can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. When reheating, pop in the microwave for about 10 seconds.