Caramel Apple Hand Pies

Hello everyone,

We have been having such a beautiful Fall here in the Midwest, which is perfect for apple picking! It’s such a great tradition to do with your family, and one mine really enjoys! In my case, our whole (extended) family went, and we had a blast! It was fun seeing my sisters and their families!

We came home with quite a few apples, so I decided to make petite hand pies.

If you know me, you know I love individual desserts. I just think they’re convenient and oh-so-cute! It’s like a little treat for each person.

So, I decided to make petite hand pies. They really do fit in your hand. They’re just the right size to enjoy without feeling too guilty.

If you’re one who doesn’t like making crust, you just might want to give this one a try. I have to say, it’s one of the best crusts I’ve eaten, and goes together beautifully.

After mixing the dough, wrap it in saran wrap and refrigerate until chilled. (Chilled dough is easier to roll out.) After about 30 minutes, roll out the dough. I used a 4-inch circle cutter. You can use a smaller one if you’d like.

Place the circles on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or a silpat mat.

Put a scoop of the spiced apples and caramel pieces in the center of dough, and sprinkle a little salt on top. Rub a little egg wash around the outside of the circle to adhere the top crust.

Place the dough circles on top, and crimp with your thumb or a fork–whatever works for you. I used a tiny apple cutter to make some little apple shapes to put on the top of the pies. I also poked lots of holes in the top crust (with a cake tester) so the steam could escape.

Bake and there you have it. They are simple and heavenly!

Ingredients:

For the dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup cold sour cream

For the filling:
2 cups small diced (peeled) apples. Tart are best, like a granny smith. Cut no larger than corn kernels to insure fast baking.
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
8 store-bought soft caramels, roughly chopped (I used , and sprinkled with large flake sea salt
Egg wash (1 egg lightly whisked with 1 Tablespoon water)
Sanding sugar (optional)

Make the dough:

Whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together in a large bowl.

Add the cubed butter to the bowl, and use your fingers to work the butter into the flour until the mixture is moist.

Stir in the sour cream (the dough will be wet), and turn out the dough onto a well-floured work surface.

Knead the dough a few times until it comes together. You can add a teaspoon of flour if the dough is too sticky to handle. Next, roll the dough into an 8×10-inch rectangle, and dust both sides with flour before folding it into thirds as if you were folding a letter.

Wrap the dough securely in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. In the meantime, you can make the filling.

Make the filling:

In a small bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar and flour. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and unfold it onto a well-floured surface, rolling it out to about a 14×14-inch square.

Using a 3- or 4-inch circular cookie cutter, cut out as many circles as possible. Re-roll the scraps and continue cutting out circles until you run out of dough, ensuring you end up with an even number of circles. (You should have approximately 16 4-inch circles.)

Place six of the dough circles on a Silpat or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Scoop a small portion of the apple filling into the center of each circle, sprinkle with caramels and top them with a little salt. Place a second dough circle atop each filled circle, and crimp the edges together to seal each pie. I cut little apple shapes out of the dough and topped each pie with one.

Brush the pies with the egg wash and poke tiny holes around the top of each pie. Next, sprinkle the pies with crystal sanding sugar (optional). I like the extra sweetness:)

Bake the pies for about 15 minutes, or until they’re golden brown.

Remove the pies from the oven and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Repeat the filling and baking process with the remaining dough circles. You can serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for extra yumminess!

Be sure to add our free printable, YOU’RE SWEET AS PIE, to the milk bottles, or box up the pies and put the label on top for a sweet surprise. (P.S. This cute tableware will be coming to the shop soon!)