I think that there must be as many recipes for “hand pies” on the Internet as there are recipes for tuna casserole or meatloaf… meaning A LOT. I generally use whatever apples I happen to have on hand, and mix together some cinnamon sugar, but I am looking forward to attempting these sweet treats in my air fryer. I found a couple of recipes that I am going to adapt and see if I like them as much as my simple apples and cinnamon sugar. I don’t generally pre-cook my apples as in these recipes, so we’ll see how they compare! Here are just a few I have found.

Apple Hand Pies #1

Recipe adapted from Marie Saba

Make 1 recipe of pie crust, enough for a double-crust pie.

• 2 large Granny Smith apples (about 1 lb.), peeled and diced (I do not peel my apples, just dice)
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar (I use raw organic sugar, but sometimes use date or palm sugar when available)
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (I use sea salt)
• 3 Tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground nutmeg (I generally do not use nutmeg, so I say “Optional”)

Egg Wash

• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons milk

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook for about 1 minute, until barely golden. Add diced apples, sugars, and salt. Cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in water and spices; cook about 4 minutes more. Spread filling onto plate and refrigerate to cool.
2. Roll out pie crust and use the lid of a small pot or small plate (about 6 inches in diameter) to cut out 6 circles of dough.
3. Whisk together egg and milk. Spoon about 1/4 cup of apple filling into each circle, slightly off center. Brush the edges of each circle with the egg mixture. Fold dough over filling and seal edges or press with the tines of a fork. Make three slits in the top of each pie to let steam escape while cooking. Brush tops of pies with the egg mixture.
4. AIR FRYER: To cook pies in the air fryer, place 2 or 3 pies in the basket of an air fryer. Cook at 350° F for 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining pies until done.
5. OVEN: To cook pies in the oven, preheat oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer pies to prepared baking sheet and baked until pies are golden and filling is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Cool before serving.

Apple Hand Pies #2

Recipe adapted from Ahead of Thyme

As above, make a double-crust recipe of pie crust.

• 2 large apples, cut into 1/2″ cubes.
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar (+ more for topping, optional)
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

1. Place apples into a large bowl filled with water (to prevent browning).
2. Melt butter over medium heat. Stir in apples, sugar, cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt. Cover and stir occasionally for 5 minutes or until apples are slightly softened. Stir in flour and continue to cook until apples are soft and tender (but not mushy), and the filling has thickened. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
3. Preheat oven to 400° F.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to ⅛-inch thickness (or the thickness of a cardboard box). Cut out dough into 6-inch circles.
5. Place ⅓ cup of apple filling at the centre of each circle. Fold over the dough, leaving ½-inch overlap. Push down to seal the filling. Fold over the overlap and press down to seal the edge.
6. Crimp the edges using a your fingers or a fork. Transfer turnovers onto a parchment-lined baking tray.
7. Brush egg generously on the top surface and sprinkle some sugar on top (optional). Cut ventilation holes on top of each turnover. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until pastry is lightly browned.

Another recipe from my friend Brenda. (As always, I advocate for using butter instead of margarine.)

My friend Brenda shared this with me about 30 years ago. Chocolate and cherries, how can you go wrong?

Another recipe that I clipped decades ago from a magazine, most likely Woman’s Day or Sunset

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• Grated peel of 1 lemon
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 baked 9-inch pie shell
• Cinnamon

In large bowl of mixer, beat together eggs and sugar until light and lemon-colored. Beat in flour, then buttermilk, butter and lemon peel and juice and vanilla.

Pour into pie shell, Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Bake in preheated 375°F oven 20-30 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Col on rack.

Makes 8 servings.

I’m thinking this would be a fun alternative to make for Thanksgiving.

There are several recipes online for making shortbread [ie crust from scratch. Here are just a few:

Crust Recipe #1

• About 2-3/4 cups crushed store-bought shortbread cookies (such as Walker’s)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Crust Recipe # 2

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions (#2)

Blend the butter and sugar. Add egg yolk and blend thoroughly. Add the flour and, blend to make a crumbly dough, do not overwork.

Pat into a 9-inch pie pan and let rest in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator and prick the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. Blind bake the crust in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove the pie weights and foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until light golden brown.

From a compilation of favorite recipes that I put together in 1999… Banana Cream Pie used to be one of my favorites – until my best friend and I had the brilliant idea to throw pies in each others face for our 16th birthday.

I found this recipe online about 20 years ago. I sure wish I’d had it when Aunt Sharon and Uncle Jim owned their farm, Bit O’ Eden! I loved to eat sour pie cherries right off the tree. You can often find pie cherries at the beginning of summer at a local Farmer’s Market, but the recipe suggests using Bing cherries with a Tablespoon of lemon juice as a substitute.

Make 8 servings

• 1 – Pie crust, chilled

Streusel Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 6 Tablespoons packed golden brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Streusel Instructions

Cut all ingredients together until it resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

Pie Filling

• 1 scant cup sugar
• 3-1/2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 2-1/2 pounds sour pie cherries, pitted

Pie Filling Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare foil-lined baking sheet to catch spills.

Mix first four ingredients in large bowl. Add cherries, toss to coat. Let stand until cherries begin to release their juices, stirring occasionally – about 10 minutes.

Transfer filling to chilled pie crust, mounding in center. Top with streusel topping, covering filling completely, pressing lightly.

Bake pie for 20 minutes. Tent loosely with foil, bake until filling bubbles thickly and streusel is golden, about 1 hour 10 minutes longer.

Cool on rack.