Cherry Hand Pies

Cherry Hand Pies

Is there anything better than a home baked cherry pie? How about two dozen mini cherry pies? These little cherry pies are the perfect size to enjoy at an alfresco picnic, afternoon tea, potluck, birthday party, baby or wedding shower. These also freeze well, making them a great ‘make ahead’ option and they’re also handy to have on hand for a quick dessert.

The pastry just how it should be…flaky and light with a satisfying crunch. However, it’s that classic cherry filling that really satisfies cherry lovers. Of course, if you don’t love cherries…feel free to fill these hand pies with the fruit filling of your choice.

Included in this hand pie recipe are instructions for making the pies with a heart shaped pie press. However, it’s super easy to make them with a heart shaped cookie cutter instead of a press. The fun little red heart design is an add on that really increases the ‘cute factor’ but you can leave the design out, if you prefer.

PS while you have the oven on, double up on the baking love fest and whip up these adorable heart-shaped Valentine’s Day Spritz Cookies to go with the hand pies.

Ingredients for this Recipe

The ingredients for this recipe are pretty straightforward. However, you can change them up depending on your skill level or filling preference. Not confident with making your own pastry by hand? You can check out my ‘go to’ food processor pastry recipe for an easier alternative. Or, if you’re in a hurry you can also use store bought frozen puff pastry.

• Flour
• Sugar
• Salt
• Butter
• Water
• Egg whites
• Red Food Colouring
• Pie Filling

There are no surprise ingredients for this pie pastry recipe. Flour, sugar, salt, butter, and ice cold water are basic ingredients in every pastry. I highly recommend you use unsalted cold butter in this recipe or decrease the amount of salt added by half.

Red food colouring is optional as it is for decorative purposes only. I highly recommend using liquid food colouring as it will blend easily into the beaten egg whites. Gel food colouring may not be so easy to incorporate, making the mixture lumpy. It will have a mottled appearance when you try to paint it onto the pastry hearts.

These are cherry pies, so a can of cherry pie filling will do. If you would like to make your own pie filling with fresh cherries (or frozen cherries), my filling recipe is a wonderful combination of sweet and tart cherries. You can omit the amaretto, if preferred.

You can fill these hand pies with any filling you like. They would be amazing with apple pie filling, blueberry filling, or peach filling. They’d also be amazing with a savoury filling combination like brie cheese and mushrooms…

How to Make Pie Pastry By Hand

In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Cut the cold butter into small blocks.

Add the butter to the bowl and cut into the flour mixture using a pastry blender. Keep cutting it in until you have small pea size pieces. You can also use your fingers to work through the mixture, rubbing away at the pieces until it almost resembles breadcrumbs.

Gradually add about half of the ice water, mixing well.  Add more water as needed, until you have a workable dough. The dough will incorporate more water as you work it, however you don’t want to over work pastry dough or allow it to warm up too much. Use the least amount of water you can, without overworking the dough. You may not need to add all the water, depending on how much your flour absorbs.

Once the dough has come together, roll it into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap or bag. Place in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to rest.

Let’s Make the Red Heart Motif

Remove one ball of dough from fridge. Place it onto a lightly floured work surface and use a rolling pin to roll out until it’s about 1/8” thick. Work from the centre of the dough outward, rotating the pastry a quarter turn for each roll.

With a small knife (or tiny heart shaped cookie cutter) carefully cut out 24-26 heart shapes that are about ½” big and place onto a plate. Gather any pastry scraps together, wrap in plastic and place back in the fridge.

In a small bowl whisk one of the egg whites, then mix in 1 Tablespoon of sugar and the red food color. Use a small pastry brush to paint the red colored egg white all over the hearts on the plate.  Set them aside and allow to fully dry.

How to Assemble the Cherry Hand Pies

Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove another pastry portion from the fridge. Remove one ball of dough from fridge. Place it onto a lightly floured work surface and use a rolling pin to roll out until it’s about 1/8” thick. Work from the centre of the dough outward, rotating the pastry a quarter turn for each roll.

Cut out two pastry hearts using a heart shaped pie press or large cookie cutter. Take one of those hearts and place it on one side of the pie press. Press down on the edges so that it stays in place while you are putting the cherry pie together. Take the other heart and do the same on the other side of the pie press. Brush both sides with the plain egg white mix.

Close the pie press together and press tightly, all around the outside. Open up the pie press and empty the pie out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat the above steps for the remaining dough that’s left. Gather up the scraps and re roll them up to one more time. The pastry will get tough if it is rolled too many times.

NOTE: If you don’t have a pie press, use a large heart shaped cookie cutter to cut the pastry hearts out. Place the two halves on a floured counter to fill. Fill with 1 tablespoon of cherry pie filling on one side, keeping the filling away from the edges. Lightly press the pastry edges together all around the filling. Lastly, use a fork to crimp the edges with a fork to seal them together.

Let’s Bake Cherry Hand Pies

In another small bowl mix the remaining egg whites with 3 tablespoons of sugar. Before baking, brush the cherry pies with the clear egg wash then affix a red heart to each one. Liberally sprinkle pies with sugar and bake in 350 F oven for 28-30 minutes baking time.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before biting into them. That filling is hot!!

How to Store Cherry Hand Pies

These hand pies will keep for up to three days in an airtight container at room temperature. They can be refrigerated for a further 3-4 more days after that.

Cherry hand pies are best eaten fresh but if you would like to freeze them, you can! Assemble them ahead of time, but don’t bake them. Freeze them on the baking sheet, then once they are completely frozen, place them in a freezer bag.

To bake from frozen: Defrost slightly (30 minutes) on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake as directed.

Looking for more Valentine’s Day recipes? Why not share a Chocolate Fondue for Two? Follow the step-by-step guide to create a decadent dessert for you and your sweetie. Or melt his frozen heart with a heart shaped Baked Alaska dessert made with store bought ice cream and torched meringue.