Individual Hand pies filled with sweet Cherries and a drizzle of glaze make these Cherry Hand Pies a fun recipe to make with the family. I'll have you in and out of the kitchen before you know it and enjoying one of these crispy pies in no time. Even if you don't care for Cherries, this recipe can easily substitute cherries for your favorite fruit.
This recipe was first seen on Savory Experiments where I contribute photos
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Cherry Season for most areas is in June and runs for a couple weeks. In cooler climates this can extend until July depending on the region. When cherries are on, everyone knows it and it's a rush to get a bowl to enjoy.
Hand Pies can be made with either fresh or frozen cherries. Which is fantastic. It means you can enjoy all year long regardless of the season. When given the option, I always prefer fresh fruit but that doesn't take away from just how good these Hand Pies are. Oh they are good.
Have you tried using Puff Pastry before? It's a keeper and so easy to use. If you haven't, don't worry. I'm going to help you along in making this recipe. It's really a fun recipe to invite the kids into the kitchen and let them make some too.
Shopping List for Cherry Hand Pies
- Cherries ~ Fresh or Frozen, either will work. Fresh Cherries will require a little more work to remove the pits. Both are delicious.
- Puff Pastry ~ Frozen or refrigerated Puff Pastry works nicely with this recipe. I like using Pepperidge Farms.
- Sugar
- Egg Wash ~ Making an Egg Wash is quick and easy. This will crisp up the top of your pie and give it that flakey top you want.
- Powdered Sugar ~ Using Powdered Sugar in making a simple glaze is quick, fast, and easy.
- Lemon Juice ~ Fresh or bottled will work with this recipe
- Milk ~ 2% Milk or even Almond Milk will due nicely
- Vanilla Extract ~ I prefer Real Vanilla Extract over imitation
- Corn Starch - thickening agent for your cherries
Substitution Ingredients
There are always reasons when substitutions are in order. So let me help you out with these common substitutions.
| Ingredient | Substitution |
|---|---|
| Cherry | Peach, Raspberries, Strawberries, Apples |
| Milk | Fat-Free Milk, Almond Milk, Soy Milk |
| Vanilla Extract | Almond Extract |
How to make Cherry Hand Pies?
You don't need to be a baker to make these Hand Pies. This is one of those no fail recipes where the ingredients will make you look like a super star. Trust me here. I'm also going to walk you through these steps to make sure you have success. But be sure to leave a comment below. I want to hear how awesome everyone thinks you are!
Step 1: Preheat the oven. This recipe will bake at 375°F. Remove Puff Pastry from Freezer and allow to thaw on counter.
Filling
Step 2: In a glass Pyrex bowl combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Stir to combine and set aside. See my tips below on how to remove Pit from Cherries.
Step 3: Unroll puff pastry sheets and cut each into 6 equal rectangles. It doesn't hurt to use a rolling pin to evenly make each sheet into a square. Do not over press pastry. Just flatten it out a little bit.
Step 4: Using a sharp knife, cut each pastry sheet into 6 equal rectangles by cutting in half and then each section into thirds.
Step 5: Carefully move 6 rectangles of pastry to a parchment-lined baking sheet before spooning filling on top. A Silicone baking sheet also works well. Spoon Cherry Filling into 6 of the rectangles. It's best when fruit and juices are contained in the center of the pastry, so pile it up. You will have extra juices to discard.
Step 6: Place an additional puff pastry rectangle on top and carefully press edges together using a fork or pinching with your fingers. I prefer to use a fork as it tends to work best. Some juices will leak out.
Step 8: To make an Egg Wash, whisk egg in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon water. Brush wash onto tops of hand pies. With a sharp knife, cut 3 slits in each hand pie so steam can release.
Step 9: Bake for 18-22 minutes at 375F Degrees. Times can vary from oven to oven and from brand to brand of puff pastry. It's important to keep a watchful eye.
Step 10: Remove and allow to cool before drizzling glaze.
Optional Glaze
Step 1: In a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. I find it best to wait until hand pies have cooled before mixing glaze.
Step 2: Drizzle glaze over hand pies. Tip: Place glaze into a zip-loc bag and snip the corner. Glaze can be easily drizzled in a zig-zag pattern across the pie. Enjoy immediately while still warm or serve room temperature.
Step 3: To Store Pies wait until Pies have cooled before placing drizzle. Allow glaze to crust or set up before storing in a sealed container.
How to Store Cherry Hand Pies?
Hand pies can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days after baking them. Before you refrigerator let them sit out for about an hour making sure the glaze has crusted and then placed in an airtight container. It never hurts to place a piece of parchment paper between when stacking.
How to Freeze Cherry Hand Pies?
Freezing Hand Pies is quick and easy. Freeze cooled pies on a parchment-lined baking sheet until frozen and then seal in Zip-loc freezer bag making sure to add parchment paper in between.
Can I make this pie with canned fruit filling or frozen cherries?
If you want to save time and do not have fresh cherries on hand, canned fruit filling or even frozen fruit cherries will work just as great.
Can I use pie crust instead of puff pastry?
Pie crust can be used as a substitution for puff pastry. However, pie crust is not as good for this specific recipe. Since, the puff pastry has the perfect amount of flakiness and gives the pie the height it needs for the fruit to fill. But, you can substitute the puff pastry for the pie crust, if that is all you have on hand.
How to crimp edges of Hand Pies?
What you want to do first to crimp the edges of these hand pies is to pinch the two puff pastries together and then use a fork to crimp the edges. Using a fork will make the pies seal together and you will not have to worry about the pie filling coming out while baking.
How to take the pit out of a cherry?
Taking a pit out of a cherry can be one of the most frustrating things to do. But, one of my favorite ways to remove the pit that I found to be the easiest is to take a glass soda bottle, like they had back in the day, and put the cherry on top of the opening. Then with a straw or chopstick press the stick through the cherry. The stick will push the pit right through the bottom and into the glass bottle.
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Cherry Hand Pies
Ingredients
- 2 Sheets Puff Pastry Thawed
- 1 ½ Cup Cherries Sliced in quarters
- ¼ Cup Sugar
- 1 Tbl Lemon Juice Fresh or Bottled
- 1 Tbl Cornstarch
- 1 Egg
- 1 Tbl Water
Glaze
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tbl Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. This recipe will bake at 375°F. Remove Puff Pastry from Freezer and allow to thaw on counter.
- In a glass Pyrex bowl combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Stir to combine and set aside. See my tips below on how to remove Pit from Cherries.
- Unroll puff pastry sheets and cut each into 6 equal rectangles. It doesn’t hurt to use a rolling pin to evenly make each sheet into a square. Do not over press pastry. Just flatten it out a little bit.
- Using a sharp knife, cut each pastry sheet into 6 equal rectangles by cutting in half and then each section into thirds.
- Carefully move 6 rectangles of pastry to a parchment-lined baking sheet before spooning filling on top. A Silicone baking sheet also works well. Spoon Cherry Filling into 6 of the rectangles. It’s best when fruit and juices are contained in the center of the pastry, so pile it up. You will have extra juices to discard.
- Place an additional puff pastry rectangle on top and carefully press edges together using a fork or pinching with your fingers. I prefer to use a fork as it tends to work best. Some juices will leak out.
- To make an Egg Wash, whisk egg in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon water. Brush wash onto tops of hand pies. With a sharp knife, cut 3 slits in each hand pie so steam can release.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes at 375F Degrees. Times can vary from oven to oven and from brand to brand of puff pastry. It’s important to keep a watchful eye.
- Remove and allow to cool before drizzling glaze.
Glaze (optional)
- In a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. I find it best to wait until hand pies have cooled before mixing glaze.
- Drizzle glaze over hand pies. Tip: Place glaze into a zip-loc bag and snip the corner. Glaze can be easily drizzled in a zig-zag pattern across the pie. Enjoy immediately while still warm or serve room temperature.
- To Store Pies wait until Pies have cooled before placing drizzle. Allow glaze to crust or set up before storing in a sealed container.
Notes
| Ingredient | Substitution |
|---|---|
| Cherry | Peach, Raspberries, Strawberries, Apples |
| Milk | Fat-Free Milk, Almond Milk, Soy Milk |
| Vanilla Extract | Almond Extract |
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