Mini Apple Hand Pies

A buttery, flaky crust paired with a sweet and caramelized apple filling creates a beautiful handheld treat, delicious almost any time of day!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Dessert, Easy, Snack, Southern

Servings: 18 Hand Pies

To make the pie crust, either in a large bowl or in a food processor, quickly mix together the flour and salt.
Next, using a pastry cutter (or food processor) cut in the cold butter cubes until the mixture resembles coarse, wet sand.
Add in water a little at a time until a rough dough begins to form. Pour out on a parchment papered surface and knead briefly to bring the dough together. Once a loose dough is formed, shape into a ball before patting down to a flattened rectangle.
Wrap the dough in parchment paper or plastic wrap and put in fridge. Chill dough for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days in the fridge, or wrap tightly and freeze for up to 1 month.

For the filling, begin by peeling, coring and dicing about 6 apples. Once all of the apples are cut, place the apples, butter, and brown sugar into a large skillet.
Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the butter and sugar have melded and the apples have softened but are not totally cooked through.
Add the heavy cream, flour, salt and vanilla and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce back to medium and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes more until the sauce has thickened.
Remove from heat and cool for at least 30 minutes. If not using directly, store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

To assemble, begin by setting out your pie crust for 5 to 10 minutes to soften slightly. Next, roll out onto flour dusted parchment paper until approximately 1/8" thick.
Using a piece of paper or other template, cut out 4" - 5" squares of crust.
Fill each square of crust with 2 or 3 tablespoons of filling (be careful not to overfill) and fold the top right corner to meet the bottom left corner to form a triangle. Pinch the two seams together as best as possible without squeezing out the filling.
Crimp the edges with a fork and lay on parchment lined baking tray if not there already. Cut three air vent holes in the center if desired. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with additional brown sugar.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 400℉ until golden brown. No worries if a little of the filling bubbles out the vents or edges. Serve room temperature or warm with ice cream and can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Enjoy!