Cherry Hand Pies

(from castro15’s recipe box)

Categories: Desserts

Ingredients

  • For the Dough:
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 tbsp vegetable shortening
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • Confectioner's sugar, for dusting
  • For the Filling:
  • 3 cups pitted cherries, roughly chopped
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions

  1. Make the dough: Pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Drizzle in 6 tbsp ice water and pulse until the dough starts coming together.

  2. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and lightly knead to bring together. Form into a disk, wrap in the plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

  3. Meanwhile, make the filling. Combine the cherries, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the cherries are juicy and the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, 5 more minutes. Spoon about 2 tbsp of the juice into a small bowl; stir in the cornstarch until dissolved. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan and continue to simmer, stirring, until very thick, 6-8 more minutes. Transfer to bowl, stir in the lemon juice and let cool.

  4. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each into a ball. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each ball into a 6 1/2-inch round, using as little flour as possible. Stack the rounds between pieces of parchment paper and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

  5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand 5 minutes. Place 2 tbsp cherry filling in the center of each round, then fold in half to enclose and crimp the edges to seal.

  6. Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a deep skillet until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 360. Fry the pies in 2 batches, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

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