Driving back from spending a few days at the lake with my sister and her family last week I was on a mission. That being to stop at one of the orchards along the highway to pick up some fresh blueberries and cherries before they closed. Along with taking photographs and getting a little summer color, the trip up to Michigan would have not been complete without bringing home some height of the season fruit. My only regret on this trip was not bringing home some of the most amazing smoked Norwegian salmon I had ever had from one of the iconic fisheries in Pentwater.
For weeks now I have been wanting to make some hand pies but couldn't decide which to make first, blueberry or cherry. Decisions, decisions. But after reading the reviews for Bon Appetit's Cherry Hand Pies it was a no-brainer decision.
The hand pie has to rank up there as one of the greatest pastry inventions. So why has it taken me so long to make them? I honestly don't have a good answer to that question. However, now that I have seen the 'hand pie light' I am completely smitten by these pillowy bites of deliciousness and should probably go on a hand pie making binge to make up for all of the years they were not in my life.
The hand pies can be made with either fresh or frozen cherries which means you can make these hand pies year round.
Pitting fresh cherries might be a little messy, but easy to do with a cherry pitter. But if you don't have one TheKitchn share three ways to pit cherries without a pitter.
In addition to 12 ounces of fresh, pitted cherries, the filling includes dried cherries, sugar, vanilla, sea salt and cornstarch. To further highlight the flavor of the cherries I added some kirsch but it's optional. Pastry chef David Lebovitz refers to kirsch as the secret weapon for every kind of berry dessert imaginable.
While I was intrigued by the ingredients in the cherry filling in the recipe (fresh cherries and dried cherries), I was beyond elated when I saw the hand pies were made of puff pastry rather than a homemade pastry. Not only because it simplified the making of these pies, but there may be no better flavor than than of a buttery, flaky pastry. Thawed puff pastry is rolled out on a lightly floured surface. A light dusting of flour on top of the puff pastry makes the rolling process seem effortless.
The hand pies can be made in any shape or size. The dough can be cut into circles, triangles, rectangles or squares using a knife, pastry cutter, or cookie cutters like these. I used a 3 inch cookie cutter to create these cute, pillowy, cherry bites of deliciousness. The bottom piece of dough is brushed lightly with the egg wash before the cooled filling is spooned on.
For this size, two teaspoons of the cherry filling seemed to be right amount and yielded the perfect filling to dough ratio. Depending on the size of hand pie you make, the amount of filling you use will vary. Avoid putting too much filling on the dough or you will end up with more filling on the pan than in the hand pies (and that would be a travesty). After placing a piece puff pastry on top of the cherry filling, use your fingers or a fork to seal the edges of the hand pie. You can make the vents on the top lid either before or after the hand pie is assembled. However, if you want circles instead of slits, use a straw to make the holes in the dough before you begin the assembly process.
The tops of the hand pies are brushed with the egg wash and generously sprinkled with sparkling sugar. Once you have filled a baking sheet with finished hand pies (leaving at least one inch of space between them), return to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
The hand pies are baked in a preheated 375 degree (F) oven for approximately 20-25 minutes or until the tops and bottoms are a golden brown. Baking time will vary based on the size of your hand pies. Baked hand pies are transferred to a wire rack and allowed to cool to room temperature before serving, that is, if you can wait that long for these beauties. They are the perfect way to celebrate summer.
Recipe
Cherry Hand Pies (an ever so slight adaptation to Bon Appetit's July 2011 Cherry Hand Pie recipe)
Makes 24-30 3" hand pies
Ingredients
1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 Tablespoons ice cold water
12 ounces fresh cherries, pitted or 12 ounces frozen pitted cherries unthawed
2/3 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon Kirsch (optional)
2 - 14 ounce packages of all-butter puff pastry (preferably Dufour), thawed in the refrigerator
Flour (for rolling and dusting)
1 large egg white
1-2 Tablespoons sparkling sugar
Directions
1. In a small bowl, stir together the corn starch and cold water. Set aside.
2. In a medium sized saucepan, combine the fresh (and/or frozen) cherries, dried cherries, sugar, vanilla, sea salt and Kirsch. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the cherry juices are released (approximately 5 minutes).
3. Add cornstarch, bring to boil, stirring often until mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir occasionally.
4. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
5. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to an 18" to 15" rectangle. Cut into 3 inch squares.
6. Whisk together egg white with 1 Tablespoon water in small bowl for egg wash.
7. Working with 1 pastry square/circle at a time, place on cool work surface and brush edges with egg wash.
8. Scoop approximately 2 teaspoons of of cherry mixture on one side. Top with another square, crimp around edges with a fork. Cut several slits on top of the hand pie with a knife or use a straw to make several circle cuts. Place hand pie on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and mixture.
9. Brush tops of each hand pie with egg wash, then sprinkle with sparking sugar. Chill for 30 minutes.
10. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).
11. Bake hand pies until golden brown 20-25 minutes.
12. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely.
Important Note: Use only package of puff pastry (yield 14-16 three inch hand pies) and use the remaining cherry mixture for topping over ice cream.
Trolls painted on the bridge over the channel connecting Bass Lake (Pentwater, MI) to Lake Michigan.
