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Old-Fashioned Cherry Hand Pies

Source of Recipe

From "The Outdoor Table" by April McKinney


Recipe Introduction

"I prefer to use frozen, pitted cherries for these adorable hand pies because who really wants to pit cherries? I also cut down on time by using a prepared piecrust so these really do come together quickly. The maraschino cherries are my secret ingredient in these pies; they are deliciously sweet and chewy."

List of Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen pitted cherries, chopped (they do not need to be thawed)
• ¼ cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp almond extract
• 2 refrigerated 9-inch piecrusts
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 Tbsp raw or turbinado sugar


Recipe

In a medium bowl toss together the chopped cherries, maraschino cherries, lemon juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, and almond extract.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll the pie dough out to 10 inches in diameter, and cut 5-inch diameter circles out of the dough; you should get eight circles from the two piecrusts. Place the dough circles on two baking sheets. Use a slotted spoon to put a little of the cherry mixture into the center of each dough circle, being careful not to overstuff them. Fold the dough over the filling to form a semicircle, and seal the edges well by pressing with a fork. Continue until all of the pies are made. Brush the pies with the beaten egg, and sprinkle them evenly with the raw sugar.

Bake the pies for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are golden brown. Let the pies cool slightly before serving them with vanilla ice cream.

Makes 8 servings.