Tasty cherry hand pies with the perfect amount of sweetness, a touch of lemon zest, with your fresh-picked tart cherries baked in a flaky buttery crust!
Author: Portlandia Pie Lady
Ingredients
Cherry Pie Filling
5cupstart pie cherries(dark sweet cherries do not bake as well)
1cuppure cane sugar
1/3cupClearjel, cornstarch or tapioca starch
Zestof one lemon (save the juice)
Dashof salt
1tablespoonbutter
1egg plus 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)
Largecrystalcrystal sugar
2batchesGrandma's Pie crust Large crystal sugar
Grandma's Pie Crust
2cups flour
1teaspoon1 teaspoon salt
1/8teaspoonbaking powder
2tablespoonspure cane sugar
1/2cupshortening
1/2cupbutter
1/2cupcold water
Instructions
Pie Dough Instructions:
Stir together all dry ingredients with a large fork.
Cut in the shortening and butter until crumbly pea-sized pieces.
Add water all at once and mix just until forms a ball (do not kneed or over mix). The dough will be rather soft.
For hand pies roll out section of dough heavily floured counter top, rolling out to about slightly thicker than 1/8-inch (slightly thinner than you would for full pie crust). Use water or egg wash to seal & crimp edges.
Cherry Pie Filling & Assembly
In a large bowl, mix cherries with sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Let sit for an hour or 2 at room temperature (or overnight in refrigerator) to draw out juice.
Strain juice into a saucepan and stir in the juice from the lemon, salt, and lemon zest. Whisk in starch thickener until no lumps.
Heat over medium to high heat stirring constantly with a whisk to cook into a beautiful gel-goo, this will only take a few short minutes and it will get very thick. Fold the mixture back into the cherries, and stir in butter to melt. Let cool while preparing pie dough.
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Roll out the pie crust dough to slightly thicker than 1/8-inch (slightly thinner than you would for full pie crust), cutting circles with a 3-1/2 inch cookie cutter.
Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Spoon on about 3 scant Tablespoons of pie filling for each hand pie.
Cut out 3 stars (or other shapes) in each top crust (or you can put on top crust and use a knife to slice in vents).
Wet the bottom crust with water or egg wash around the edge.
Gently stretch the top crust over filling to edges of bottom, press firmly with finger tips to seal, then crimp with fork. .
Brush with egg wash, sprinkle on large crystal sugar. Bake 22-25 minutes at 375.