An easy recipe for a sweet-savory twist on traditional Apple Pie. The spiced apple hand pies combine fresh thyme, lemon, cinnamon, cheese, and apples for a delicious but unexpected treat.
3cupsall-purpose flourdivided, plus additional flour for rolling the dough
3/4teaspoonkosher saltdivided
1/2poundcold unsalted buttercut into small pieces, plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, for filling
6tablespoonsgranulated sugardivided
1/2cupice water(may need up to 2/3 cup)
For The Apple Hand Pie Filling:
1poundGolden Delicious, Gala, or Pink Lady apples(about 2 medium)
1cupshredded aged Gouda or Cheddar cheese(about 3 ounces)
1tablespoonfresh thyme leavesfinely chopped
2teaspoonsfreshly squeezed lemon juice
1teaspoonlemon zest
1/2teaspoonpure vanilla extract
1/4teaspoonground cinnamon
2largeegg whites
For The Wash:
2tablespoonsheavy cream or milkfor wash
1 largeegg yolk
Turbinado or sanding sugarfor garnish
Instructions
Make The Pie Crust: In a large bowl, mix together the 3 cups of measured flour, 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt until well combined. Using clean hands, add the 16 tablespoons of diced cold unsalted butter and toss until the butter is just coated in the flour. Rub the butter between your thumb and forefingers to incorporate into the flour mixture until the butter is in lima bean-sized and pea-size pieces. When the mixture is squeezed, it should hold together in fist-sized clumps.
Drizzle half of the ice water over the flour mixture and, holding your hand like a claw, rake through the mixture with fingers until just starting to get evenly moistened. Drizzle in the remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time and comb through the mixture with fingers to moisten. It will go from being a shaggy mess to coming together. The dough is moist enough when it is evenly hydrated but is not wet or sticky when pressed. (Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough.)
While rotating the bowl with one hand, push dough between the second hand's palm and the side of the bowl to gather into two balls. Turn the dough balls onto a piece of plastic wrap, press them into flat disks, then close them in the wrap. Place the disks of dough in the coldest part of the refrigerator (usually at the back bottom shelf) for at least 30 minutes before rolling out and forming into a crust.
Prepare The Apple Hand Pie Filling: Meanwhile, peel the apples and cut them into small (1/4-inch) dice. Combine the apples with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the measured flour, all the shredded cheese, the remaining 5 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, the 1/4 teaspoon salt, all the thyme, all the lemon juice and zest, the vanilla, and the cinnamon in a large bowl and toss to combine. Set aside.
Assemble The Hand Pies: Divide the dough disk in half and return one half to the refrigerator. On a clean, flat, lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a circle with a 1/8-inch thickness. Use a 4-inch biscuit cutter to cut into rounds. Place rounds on a baking sheet and chill until ready to use. Chill the remaining dough briefly (about 5 minutes) then reroll and cut dough as needed until you have 12 rounds. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough until you have another 10 rounds (20 total).
Place 1 scant tablespoon of the filling in each dough round and divide softened butter evenly among the dough rounds. Beat the egg whites until smooth, then brush the perimeter of each round with a bit of the egg whites. Fold the round over the filling so the hand pie is in a half-moon shape. Use your fingers to press down to seal the edge then, using a fork lightly dipped in flour, crimp the edge to make sure the pie is fully closed. Repeat to make all the hand pies. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and freeze at least 20 minutes to set up.
Bake The Hand Pies: When ready to bake the hand pies, heat the oven to 400°F and arrange racks in the upper and the lower third. Meanwhile, combine the remaining egg yolks and cream or milk (it can also be water) in a small bowl and beat with a fork until smooth. Use a sharp knife to slice three small vents in the top of the pies then brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle generously with sanding or turbinado sugar.
Bake, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until hand pies are crisp, set, and tops and bottoms of pies are golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Set aside for a few minutes to cool slightly before serving.