Cinnamon Sugar Apple Hand Pies

These portable hand pies use a cooked apple filling so the pastry bakes cleanly and stays crisp. The apples are briefly simmered with cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon, then enclosed in a buttery dough and baked until golden before being finished with cinnamon sugar for extra aroma and crunch.

By Julienne

Cook time: 30 minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 300 g all-purpose flour divided for dough and dusting
• 30 g granulated sugar divided for dough, filling, and topping
• 4 g fine salt divided for dough and filling
• 200 g unsalted butter cold, cubed
• 120 ml ice water cold
• 25 g unsalted butter cold, cubed
• 700 g apples peeled, cored, and diced into 1 cm pieces
• 15 ml lemon juice fresh or bottled
• 54 g granulated sugar divided for dough, filling, and topping
• 4 g fine salt divided for dough and filling
• 6 g ground cinnamon divided for filling and topping
• 1 g ground nutmeg for filling
• 12 g cornstarch for filling
• 75 g all-purpose flour divided for dough and dusting
• 50 g egg 1 large egg, beaten
• 15 ml milk for egg wash
• 6 g granulated sugar divided for dough, filling, and topping
• 2 g ground cinnamon divided for filling and topping

Instructions

1. Make the dough: In a bowl, combine 300 g of the flour, 30 g of the sugar, and 4 g of the salt. Cut in 200 g of the cold butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-size pieces remaining. Stir in 120 ml of the ice water just until the dough comes together. Divide into 2 disks, wrap, and chill briefly while you make the filling. The dough holds together when pressed and feels cool, not sticky.
2. Cook the filling: In a skillet over medium heat, melt the remaining 25 g butter. Add the apples, lemon juice, remaining 54 g sugar, remaining 4 g salt, 6 g cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch. Cook, stirring, until the apples soften slightly and the juices thicken, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool the filling for about 10 minutes. The apples are tender but still hold their shape, and the pan juices look glossy and thick, not watery.
3. Heat the oven to 200 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Roll one dough disk to about 3 mm thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out 12 rounds, rerolling scraps as needed. Repeat with the second disk for 12 more rounds, or cut a mix of rounds and rectangles if you prefer a rustic look. The dough is evenly rolled and the pieces are large enough to enclose filling without tearing.
4. Assemble the hand pies: Beat the egg with the milk. Brush the edges of 12 dough pieces lightly with egg wash, mound about 30 g filling in the center of each, then top with the remaining dough pieces. Press to seal and crimp with a fork. Cut 2 small steam vents in each pie, then brush the tops with the remaining egg wash. Each pie is sealed firmly and shows a thin glossy coat of egg wash on top.
5. Bake until the pies are deeply golden and the filling is bubbling at the vents, 22 to 26 minutes. While hot, mix the remaining 6 g sugar with the remaining 2 g cinnamon and sprinkle over the pies. The crust is crisp and browned, and the filling is visibly bubbling through the vents.
6. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving so the filling sets slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature. The pies lift cleanly from the parchment and the filling no longer runs when bitten.