Over the recent Memorial Day weekend, my family had a taste for homemade apple pie.
That’s one of our favorite desserts and you just can’t go wrong that… especially when combined with a scoop of ice cream.
This time, I felt like mixing it up a bit by making apple hand pies.
And as you can see, I added a bit of a floral twist.
One of the beautiful things about pie crust dough is that you can cut it up or shape it in some pretty creative ways.
There are a ton of beautiful examples of intricate pie cutwork on Instagram and I’m sure you’ve seen as much as I have.
Over the years, I’ve tried my hand at a lot of pies and you can see my braided pie crust HERE, or take a look at how I used this same cookie cutter technique on another pie, HERE or you can drool over one of my favorite creative pie crusts HERE.
Getting back to the hand pies in this post, I used a small, spring-loaded cookie cutter to create the flower shapes.
You can find all kinds of small, flower-shaped cookie cutters online.
Flower-Shaped Hand Pies
Ingredients
- 2 prepared pie dough, cut into 4 sections Use your favorite pie dough for 2, 9-inch crusts and double it to make the extra flowers.
- 4 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons shaved or finely cut almond paste, for nutty flavor and to help hold the filling together.
- 2 egg, for egg wash
- 4 tablespoons turbinado sugar, for topping
Instructions
PIE CRUST
- Make pie crust from favorite recipe. I doubled the crust recipe to give me extra dough to work with for the flowers.
FOR THE FILLING
- Peel and core apples. Chop into small, bite size pieces.
- Gently coat apple pieces with lemon juice.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in apples. Coat apples with butter.
- Add salt, brown sugar and white sugar.
- Add cinnamon and continue to stir until apples are soft and slightly caramelized.
- Remove hot apple mixture from stovetop. Transfer mixture to a bowl and allow it to cool completely.
- Use a cheese grater to shave the almond paste so that it's very fine.
- Sprinkle the almond paste over the apple mixture and mix gently but thoroughly.
ASSEMBLY
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Roll the dough and use a 3-1/2inch circular cookie cutter to cut out 12 shapes for the bottom of the hand pies.
- Roll remaining dough onto a lightly floured surface. Use the flower, spring-loaded cookie cutter to cut the flower shapes. If the flower shape does not have a circular opening in the center, use a straw to create one. This will allow the pies to vent adequately.
- Spoon 3-4 tablespoons of apple filling into the center of the pie bottom. Press the filling down just a bit to flatten it. Leave @1/2-inch clearance along the outside edge of the pie bottom. This will give you room to affix the flower shapes to the pie bottom.
- Use a pastry brush to apply egg wash along the outer edge of the pie bottom.
- Gently affix flower shapes to the edge. After each application, brush a light amount of egg wash over the flower shape to allow the next flower shape to adhere to the pie.
- Keep adding flowers until the entire hand pie is covered.
- Don't overload the pie because this will give you far more crust than is needed after it's baked. You basically want to make sure the filling is covered so that it doesn't spill out of the pie during baking.
- After assembly, use pastry brush to apply a thin layer of the egg wash over the entire hand pie. Be sure to get the nooks and crannies for even browning.
- Place pies on a parchment paper-lined baking tray and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Baking times may vary depending on the heat output of your oven.
- Remove from oven and serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream and optional homemade caramel sauce.
- Serve with vanilla bean ice cream and homemade caramel sauce.
- Sit back and watch the smiles.
These hand pies bake up beautifully but I do have one tip (that actually applies to any type of apple pie).
You must make sure your egg wash fully coats all areas of the top of the pie.
This is especially important when working with cutouts like this.
If any areas of the dough don’t get coated, you may end up with some uneven browning on a few of the flowers.
I love individual serving sizes like this.
It certainly can be more fun when pie lovers get their own little dessert that looks like it was made just for them.
How cute are these? Your pie-loving friends and family will love them.
Brace yourself for some added delicious decadence.
As if vanilla bean ice cream isn’t enough…Â you can also kick up the yummy-factor with a few drizzles of homemade caramel sauce.
Salted Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 2-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1-1/4 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Combine the cream, butter and salt in a saucepan and heat over medium heat.
- Stir continuously until the butter has completed melted. Remove from stove top and set aside on an oven mitt or trivet. Cover pan with tea towel to keep mixture warm.
- In another saucepan, heat the sugar and water on medium-high heat.
- Stir continuously until sugar has dissolved and has the color of dark amber. Watch carefully to prevent sugar from burning. It can happen in an instant.
- Pour the cream that was set aside early into the amber colored mixture.
- Stir to dissolve all contents until thick caramel develops.
- Serve caramel hot or allow to cool.
- Store in refrigerator in an airtight container for 1 week.
It’s delicious whether drizzled over the ice cream or the hand pie…. or both. No rules on that.
You can see the recipe for this delicious (and easy) salted caramel sauce from a previous post HERE.
Whip-up these sweet, floral hand pies… serve with a heaping helping of yummy goodness… and just sit back and watch the smiles take over.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
See you back here next time.♥
Those hand pies are adorable!! I’m surprised you were able to have any samples to photograph. they would be so cute at a shower. You are one talented artist, my friend!! Hope you had a lovely weekend. Sending a huge hug!!
Awww, thanks so much Marisa.
Everyone really loved the pies too. I gotta say, that ice cream and caramel sauce really kicked it all up a notch.
The recipe makes a dozen and I ended up freezing several. I hope they’re as tasty when thawed.
Hugs back at you.
xoxo
These little treats are adorable! For some reason, I only make apple pie in fall and winter, crazy huh!? I have small flower cutters that I use with fondant and they’d work perfectly for these mini pies. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much, Sandra.
I know what you mean about feeling like apple is a fall and winter dessert.
But I discovered that apple pie is delicious year round.
And I love the look of an apple pie cooling in a window in the summer-lol.
Almost too pretty to eat … Almost ; )
You’re right about “almost”, Alice-lol.
Thanks so much.
Happy weekend to you.
Love the way these look! I’ve found that if a food is visibly pretty, it makes the taste even better! I love your posts.
I’m right there with you, Rita.
I rarely eat something that doesn’t first appeal to me visually-lol.
Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know you enjoy my posts.
I appreciate that.
Have a lovely weekend.
Oh this is so wonderful!!! Everyone loves their own pie!!…and would I be thrown in the bakery jail if I ask if pre-made pie crust can be used?….I saw a show where even Ina G. uses pre-made…ha!…You always have a fabulous finishing touch too!
Ha-ha, Shirley. I think pre-made pie crust is just fine.
I use it sometimes too (shhhhh).
Remember, in the kitchen we are all free to improvise in whatever way works best.
Go for it-lol.
Happy day to you, sweet friend
Lisa…these are adorable! And a great idea for a crowd, especially kids on the go at a picnic! thanks for sharing…….have a great day…..
Thanks so much, Lois.
You’re right, I think these would be great on a picnic.
Of course, depending on your cookie cutters, you can switch up the shapes too.
Let me know how they turn out.
Have a great week.
oh my goodness Lisa….. what beautiful/delicious imagery.
And THANK YOU for being the FIRST to link-up. Truly. xxx
Thank you so much for that, Kim.
I’m glad you enjoyed the imagery.
Your site is such an inspiration to me, it’s nice to return the favor (smile).
I appreciate the opportunity to link up and find more lovely sites for me to browse.
Stay safe and be well.
xoxo
Lisa, your website is beautiful… and these pies… oh my goodness! You are amazing. Be well.
Thank you, SuZan.
I appreciate your sweet message and I’m glad you enjoyed seeing my little hand pies.
If you find the time, I hope you give the a try.
Take care and stay safe.
xoxo
lovely, I love the look of those pies!
Thanks, Janice.
The pies are super fun to make… and even more fun to share and eat.
Happy weekend to you.
Stay safe.
xoxo
these look gorgeous! and delicious 🙂
I appreciate that, Michelle.
Perhaps you’ll find some time to make these pies yourself.
They were a pretty big hit in my household.
Have a nice weekend and stay safe.
xoxo