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.
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
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.