Spiced Apple Hand Pies

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the butter into the flour

   Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Scatter in the cold butter cubes and toss them to coat. Working quickly with a pastry cutter or your fingertips, flatten the butter into the flour until you have a shaggy mix of coarse crumbs and plenty of flat, dime-sized pieces. Those flat sheets of butter are what turn into flaky layers, so stop well before the mixture looks uniform or sandy.

2. 2

   Bring the dough together

   Stir the sour cream into the ice water until smooth, then drizzle it over the flour mixture. Toss with a fork until the dough starts clumping, then press it against the side of the bowl a few times until it holds. It should feel slightly tacky but not sticky; if dry patches remain, add cold water a teaspoon at a time. Divide in half, flatten each piece into a rectangle, wrap tightly, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

3. 3

   Cook the filling

   Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced apples and cook, stirring now and then, for 4 to 5 minutes, until they soften at the edges but still hold their shape. Stir in the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and salt and cook another 2 minutes, until the juices turn glossy and thick enough to coat the apples. Spread on a plate and cool completely — warm filling will melt the butter in your pastry and the pies will leak.

4. 4

   Cut the rounds

   Roll one piece of dough on a lightly floured surface to a scant 1/8 inch thick. Cut 4 1/2-inch rounds, gather and re-roll the scraps once, and repeat with the second piece of dough. You should get 12 rounds total. Slide them onto a parchment-lined sheet and chill 15 minutes if the dough has softened at all.

5. 5

   Fill and seal

   Whisk the egg and milk together. Brush a thin ring of egg wash around the edge of a round, mound a scant 2 tablespoons of cooled filling slightly off-center, and fold the pastry over into a half-moon. Press the edges together with your fingers to push out air, then crimp firmly all the way around with a fork. Keep the filling well clear of the seam — that's the single biggest cause of blowouts.

6. 6

   Chill, vent, and wash

   Arrange the pies 2 inches apart on two parchment-lined baking sheets and freeze for 20 minutes while the oven heats to 400°F. Just before baking, cut two short steam vents in each top, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar.

7. 7

   Bake

   Bake 22 to 26 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the pies are deep golden and you can see filling bubbling thickly at the vents. Lift one with a spatula and check the underside — it should be browned, not pale. Cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then move to a rack. The filling is molten straight out of the oven, so give them at least 20 minutes before the first bite.

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Baker's Tips

• 1.

  Choose apples that hold their shape: Granny Smith, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, or a mix. Softer varieties like McIntosh collapse into applesauce and make a watery filling.

• 2.

  Dice the apples no larger than 1/4 inch. Big chunks tent the pastry, tear the seams, and never fully soften in the short bake.

• 3.

  If the dough ever turns soft or sticky while you're working, stop and refrigerate it for 10 minutes. Cold dough is the whole game here.

• 4.

  Overfilling is tempting and it will cost you. A scant 2 tablespoons looks modest but is exactly right for a 4 1/2-inch round.

• 5.

  Freeze assembled, unbaked pies solid on a sheet, then bag them for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen at 400°F, adding 5 to 8 minutes.

• 6.

  Swap in the same volume of a thick berry or stone fruit filling, but bump the cornstarch to 1 1/2 tablespoons since those fruits run juicier.

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Pastry cutter or box grater
• Rolling pin
• 4 1/2-inch round cutter
• Medium skillet
• Two rimmed baking sheets
• Parchment paper
• Pastry brush
• Wire cooling rack

Storage