Cherry Hand Pies
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Bon Appétit, July 2011
Yield = 12 pies as adjusted, 9 pies as written in original Bon Appétit recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups fresh cherries, stemmed, pitted and halved (about 12 ounces frozen pitted cherries, unthawed)
- 2/3 cup dried cherries (I used sour cherries from Nuts Online)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 14-ounce package all-butter puff pastry (preferably Dufour), thawed in refrigerator (I used puff pastry that contained 17 ounces in the box and was already separated into two sheets)
- Flour (for dusting)
- 1 large egg white
- 1 1/2 teaspoons raw sugar
Preparation
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir cornstarch and 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl to blend. Combine fresh cherries and next 4 ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cherry juices are released, about 5 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture; bring to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface. The puff pastry I used was already in 12x10" rectangle. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into six 5x4" rectangles. Repeat with second sheet of puff pastry. Whisk egg white and 1 tablespoon water in another small bowl for egg wash.
If your puff pastry is pre-made in a rectangular shape, I would recommend adjusting the size of your pies to fit that sheet of puff pastry. For example, if your puff pastry is a 18x15" rectangle, cut dough into nine 6x5" rectangles. I thought the 5x4" rectangles were a perfect size, but obviously you can adjust the size to your preference.
Working with 1 pastry rectangle at a time, place on a work surface and brush edges with egg wash. Scoop 2 tablespoons cherry mixture onto one side; fold dough over filling so that short ends meet, forming a 4x2.5" packet. Crimp edges with a fork to seal. Using a sharp knife, cut a few slits in top of pie to vent. Place on prepared baking sheet; repeat with remaining dough and filling.
Brush tops with egg wash, then sprinkle with raw sugar. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°. Bake pastries until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet. Transfer to wire racks; let cool completely.
DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Let stand at room temperature.