Hands up who loves a flaky pastry pie with a glorious sweet filling! Well these cute little personal pies are the answer to all your pie-filled dreams! Small enough to fit in your hand, but enough to satisfy those pie cravings, I feel like these are the ultimate autumnal comfort bake. They are quite a commitment though, with pastry making taking some time, but they’re totally worth it, and the perfect activity for your long lockdown weekends! I’ve simplified the filling by using tinned cherry pie filling, but you could really use anything – apple and cinnamon, cranberry and ginger – just make sure it’s not too fluid! Mincemeat would make a wonderful Christmas variation.
Cherry Hand Pies
Ingredients
440g plain flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
340g cold butter, cut into cubes
2 eggs, beaten
125ml milk
1 tin cherry pie filling
Demerara sugar for sprinkling
Method
- Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
- Cut in the butter until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. (This can be done in a food processor with the normal blade attachment if you have one big enough! It’s far less work!)
- Add the egg and mix.
- You probably won’t need all your milk for this bit, but one tablespoon at a time, sprinkle over the milk onto a section of the mixture, toss through and move it away to the side of the bowl. Continue gradually adding the milk until the mixture begins to come together.
- Scoop the pastry into a ball with your hand and gently knead it so it holds together.
- Divide the pastry into four, roll into balls and press into discs.
- Wrap each in cling film and pop in the fridge for an hour.
- Preheat your oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas mark 5 and line two baking sheets with baking paper or reusable liner.
- Grab a rolling pin and one of the pastry discs. Flour your work surface and rolling pin, then roll the pastry out to about 3mm thick.
- Using a 10cm cutter, cut as many rounds out of your pastry as you can.
- Scrunch up the left over pastry and repeat the process of rolling out and cutting.
- Brush the edges of your pastry discs with milk and put 2 teaspoons of filling onto one side of each.
- Fold each circle in half, over the filling and crimp the edges with a fork to stop the mixture escaping.
- Cut a few slits in the top and place onto your baking sheet ready for the oven.
- Brush the tops with milk, so they go a lovely golden brown when baked, and sprinkle over your coarse Demerara sugar.
- Once you’ve filled your baking sheets, pop them in the oven for about 20 minutes, until they’re golden brown.
- Remove and cool slightly on cooling racks.
- Repeat the rolling, cutting, filling, folding, crimping and baking until all your pastry is used up.
- Serve these warm, they are absolutely delicious! Any remaining pies can be warmed in the oven before serving the next day.
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Adapted from Magnolia
