Fruit Hand Pies with Sweet Almond Crust
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-7 oz box Odense Almond Paste, diced small
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks (1 cup) very cold butter,* diced small
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup ice water, plus 1-2 tablespoons if needed
- 1 teaspoon white or cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Favorite pie filling, homemade or canned
- Sugar for sprinkling tops of pies
- *Normally pie crust calls for unsalted butter but with the addition of sugar and Almond Paste this crust has a better flavor with the added salt! It's a Yin-Yang type of thing.
Odense Almond Paste adds a firm texture and rich flavor to this sweet almond crust. It’s hearty and goes well with any fruit pie, especially hand pies. It’s the perfect picnic dessert. No forks or plates to bother with … just pick one up and go!
Time
15 minutes to assemble
30 minutes to chill
40 minutes to fill and crimp pies
30-32 minutes to bake
30 minutes to chill
40 minutes to fill and crimp pies
30-32 minutes to bake
Yield
20 hand pies
Directions
- Add flour, diced Almond Paste, sugar and salt to a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process to the texture of fine sand. Add butter and process to small pea size pieces of butter.
- Separate egg yolk from white of egg. Set aside egg white in small bowl. Beat the yolk with 3/4 cup ice water, vinegar and extract. Slowly add water to flour mixture, pulsing food processor as water drips in. Add 1-2 tablespoons of additional water (if needed) until dough holds together when pinched between 2 fingers.
- Tip flour mixture out onto a floured counter and knead together just until dough holds shape. Divide dough into equal halves. Shape each half into two 7 X 4 inch rectangles. Wrap each piece and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Adjust oven racks to bottom and middle of oven.
- Remove 1 rectangle from the refrigerator and roll out onto a generously floured counter. Roll a long rectangle to measure 15 X 10 inches. Tip: Roll dough a bit bigger and trim to exact measurement for evenly sized hand pies. Cut a line down the middle to make 2-15 X 5 inch long strips. Divide each strip into 3 inch wide strips, which equals a total of 10 hand pies per sheet of pie crust
- Add 2 tablespoons of water to reserved egg white and beat well. Lightly brush edges of 3 inch strip of pie crust. Add 2-3 teaspoons (no more) of favorite pie filling to strip of pie dough. Fold in half and gently press edges together. Crimp edges with a fork dipped in flour. Transfer to baking sheet and repeat with remaining 9 strips of dough. A pastry scraper is perfect for transferring hand pies to baking sheet.
- Brush tops with beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar. With a sharp knife or fork, make an X in the top of each hand pie. Bake 20 minutes on lower rack then transfer to middle rack for an additional 10-12 minutes. They are done when fruit bubbles and crust is a beautiful golden brown. Repeat with remaining refrigerated dough.