Apple Hand Pies
Cute and delicious, these mini apple pies are perfect for snacking, breakfast, brunch, or dessert. Sweet pastry dough filled with a brown sugar, cinnamon, caramelized apple, and pecan filling. Baked golden, drizzled with glaze, sprinkled with candied pecan pieces.
Ingredients
Candied Pecans:
- 30 grams egg white (1 large)
- 15 grams water (1 tablespoon)
- 3 grams vanilla bean paste (1/2 teaspoon)
- 60 grams pecan pieces (3/4 cup)
- 50 grams granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
- 1 gram fine sea salt (1/4 teaspoon)
Dough:
- 260 grams all-purpose flour (2 cups)
- 12 grams granulated sugar (1 tablespoon)
- 6 grams kosher salt or fine sea salt (1 teaspoon)
- 230 grams unsalted butter (1 cup OR 2 sticks), cold and cubed
- 50 grams egg (1 large)
- 30 grams half and half (2 tablespoons)
Caramelized Apples:
- 1-1/2 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 8 slices, any variety (about 2 apples)
- 5 grams fresh lemon juice (1 teaspoon)
- 3 grams ground cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
- 35 grams light brown sugar (3 tablespoons)
- 14 grams salted butter (1 tablespoon)
- 60 grams apple juice, apple cider, or water (1/4 cup)
Egg Wash:
- 50 grams egg (1 large)
- 15 grams half and half (1 tablespoon)
Apple Glaze:
- 90 grams powdered sugar (3/4 cup)
- 15 grams juices reserved from caramelized apples (1 tablespoon)
Instructions
Candied Pecans:
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
- Add egg white, water, and vanilla bean paste to small mixing bowl. Whisk until frothy. Add pecan pieces to egg white mixture. Toss to coat. Set aside for several minutes.
- Add granulated sugar, and fine sea salt to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Add half the sugar mixture to the pecans. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the nuts to the remaining sugar mixture. Toss to coat.
- Spread the prepared pecans in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Stir and bake additional 15 minutes.
- Remove baking sheet from oven and cool on wire rack. Roughly chop. Set aside.
Dough:
- Add all-purpose flour, granulated sugar and kosher salt to medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Using a pastry blender, cut in the cold butter for several minutes until mixture resembles crumbs in texture.
- Add egg to small bowl. Whisk briefly. Add half and half to beaten egg. Whisk to combine. Add egg mixture to dough. Stir to combine.
- Press the dough into a rectangle, and set it aside rest for 30 minutes before rolling out. Alternately, the dough may be wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Bring the dough to room temperature before rolling out.
- Divide the dough in half. On a well-floured flat surface, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. To keep the dough from being too sticky, you can lightly flour the rolling pin, and rotate the dough occasionally. Lightly flour your surface or the top of the dough, if necessary.
- Cut the dough into 3 to 4-inch circles. Place the dough circles on parchment paper lined baking sheets.
- Repeat the process with the remaining dough. Knead together any scraps of dough, re-roll, and cut more circles.
Caramelized Apples:
- Add the prepared apple slices, unsalted butter, fresh lemon juice, ground cinnamon, and light brown sugar to a large skillet. Heat over medium low heat 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, or until the apples have softened. As the moisture begins to simmer away, add the apple cider. Continue cooking the apples until tender.
- Reserve some of the cooking liquid to use in the glaze preparation.
Egg Wash:
- Add egg to small bowl. Whisk briefly. Add half and half to beaten egg. Whisk to combine.
Hand Pie Assembly:
- Spoon the finely chopped apples onto the dough circles resting on the parchment paper, leaving a 1/2-inch of space around the edges. Brush the egg wash around the uncovered edges.
- Fold the dough over the filling and secure, using your fingers to crimp the edges to ensure a good seal. Alternately you can use a fork.
- Prick the tops of the hand pies with the tines of a fork to allow steam to escape. Bake for 25 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
- Serve warm, or glaze and garnish.
Glaze:
- Add powdered sugar and reserved cooking liquid to small bowl. Stir to combine. Brush hand pies with glaze.
- Sprinkle candied pecan pieces over glaze.