Fried Cherry Hand Pies

• porsjoner: 13 pies
• aktiv tid: 45 minutes
• total tid: 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredienser

3 1/2 cups (530g) fresh or frozen cherries of choice (I used a mixture of tart and sweet frozen cherries)

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 tbsp (12g) cornstarch + 1 1/2 tbsp (22ml) water, for slurry

1 tsp (4g) vanilla bean paste or extract

3 1/2 cups (420g) all-purpose flour

1 tbsp (12g) granulated sugar

1 tsp (4g) baking powder

1 tsp (6g) salt

3/4 cup (170g) salted butter, cold and cut into cubes

7/8 cup (7oz) half and half or evaporated milk, cold

1 egg, cold

1 egg + 1 tbsp (15ml) water, for egg wash

Avocado oil (or neutral oil of choice), for frying

1 cup (120g) powdered sugar

2 tbsp (30ml) milk of choice

1 tsp (4g) vanilla bean paste or extract

Pinch of salt

Fremgangsmåte

Start by preparing the cherry pie filling first so it has time to cool. In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the cherries, sugar, lemon juice, and pinch of salt. Cook until the sugar melts and the cherries soften and begin to release their juices, stirring occasionally (~6-8 minutes).

Mix together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl to create a slurry. Pour the slurry into the cherry mixture, stir, and cook until the mixture thickens (1-2 more minutes). You don’t want this mixture to be too runny, to prevent it from spilling out when forming the hand pies!

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside to cool. I personally like to place the cherry pie filling into a separate bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap to prevent a film from forming, and place it into the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process. It’s okay if it’s still a tiny bit warm when shaping the hand pies, but you want it to be almost completely cooled!

Prepare the pie dough. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then add the cold and cubed butter, and use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients to create coarse crumbs. Aim for the butter to be in pea-sized chunks by the end of cutting!

In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the half and half (or evaporated milk) and egg. Add this mixture to the flour/butter mixture, and use a wooden spoon to gently mix and bring the dough together into a ball. Once the mixture starts to come together more, I like to use my hands to finish forming into a ball (just be careful not to over-mix or knead). The dough should not be wet and sticky nor dry and crumble, it should form a nice and firm dough ball!

Shape the ball into a disc and wrap in a piece of plastic wrap. Place into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

After chilling, assemble the hand pies. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Prepare the egg wash by beating together the egg and water in a small bowl.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Light flour your work surface and roll the dough out to a large circle, about 1/8”-1/4” thick. Use a very large round cutter (4 1/2”), a glass, or mason jar lid to cut out circles. Remove the excess dough around the circles and press into a ball to re-roll and cut more circles. After rolling and cutting, you should get 11-13 circles depending on the thickness you roll your dough out to.

For each circle, roll it out just slightly more. Use a pastry brush or your finger to brush/rub a small amount of the egg wash on half of the circumference of the circle (refer to video above if needed).

Place a heaping tablespoon of the cooled cherry pie filling in the center of the circle, then fold half of the circle over the other half to close the pie. Use your fingers to press down around the edges. Then, use a floured fork to press and seal the edges WELL. You really want to take your time here and make sure the edges are well-sealed to prevent the filling from leaking out while frying.

After sealing the edges with the fork, take the sealed edge and just slightly fold it in towards the pie, refer to the video above if needed. I find that this just helps really enforce that seal!

Place the prepared hand pies on the prepared parchment-lined baking sheet and place into the refrigerator while you heat the oil.

Fill a large, heavy-bottomed pot, cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven with oil, filling ~2” in the pan. Heat on medium-high until it reaches 360F-370F.

Line a wire cooling rack with a thick layer of paper towels.

Prepare the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt in a small bowl, until smooth. Set aside.

Once the oil is hot enough, carefully lay 3-4 pies slowly into the hot oil. Fry the hand pies for about 2 minutes on each side (about 4 minutes total), until golden brown. I HIGHLY recommend using a thermometer for the oil while frying, the temperature will need to be adjusted throughout the process as it does fluctuate. This will ensure that the oil is staying at the correct temperature, which prevents undercooked or overcooked hand pies!

Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the hand pies from the oil and transfer to the rack with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining hand pies.

While the other hand pies are frying, place the warm hand pies onto a cooling rack that’s positioned on top of a baking sheet. Then brush or spoon the glaze over the tops.

If you prefer to bake the hand pies, once formed, place the hand pies onto two separate baking sheets. Brush the tops with an egg wash and slit the tops with a knife to create a vent. Then bake the hand pies at 400F for 22-25 minutes, or until they’re golden brown on the top and edges. Remove from the oven and glaze.

Serve warm and enjoy!