Tiny Cherry Hand Pies (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Cherry Filling
01 -
380g pitted cherries (roughly 60), cut into quarters
02 -
70g granulated sugar
03 -
20g cornstarch powder
04 -
¼ teaspoon table salt
05 -
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
06 -
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
07 -
½ teaspoon almond flavoring (skip if you want)
→ Crust
08 -
2 ready-to-use or homemade pie crusts
09 -
1 large beaten egg (for brushing)
10 -
1 tablespoon chunky sugar crystals (skip if you want)
# Instructions:
01 -
Get your oven hot at 190°C. Toss the quartered cherries in a bowl with sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice, and your flavor extracts. Mix it all up and let it sit for at least 10 minutes so the cherries can get juicy as the sugar pulls moisture out.
02 -
Take one cold pie crust and roll it out on a floured counter until it's about 28-30cm wide. Use a 10cm cutter to make 8-9 circles. Push each circle into your muffin tin holes, making sure the dough spreads out evenly.
03 -
Keep any extra dough bits. Grab your second crust, roll it out and cut another 3-4 circles. Save all leftover dough scraps for making the tops.
04 -
Scoop about a tablespoon of just the cherry pieces into each little crust. Then pour the sweet juice that collected in the bowl evenly over all pies, about a tablespoon per mini pie.
05 -
Pop the filled pies in the fridge while you work on the tops. Cut your leftover dough into thin 6mm strips. Weave them together in a criss-cross pattern. Cut out 6cm circles from your woven dough and put one on each mini pie.
06 -
Crack an egg into a small bowl, beat it up, and brush it over the tops. Sprinkle with chunky sugar if you're feeling fancy.
07 -
Stick the pies in the middle of your oven for 22-25 minutes until they're golden brown. Dark pans need about 22 minutes; lighter pans might need the full 25.
08 -
After baking, let the pies cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then carefully lift them out with a fork and move them to a wire rack so the bottoms don't get soggy.
# Notes:
01 -
Dark muffin tins work best for crispy bottoms. Light-colored pans might need extra time to get that nice golden color.
02 -
Don't worry if your dough rips when you're putting it in the pan. Just grab some extra dough and patch it up.