Handheld apple pies are a little more labor intensive than making a whole pie, but they're perfect for a summer get together when utensils are optional. They feature warm spices and a buttery, flaky crust.
Course: Dessert
Keyword: allspice, apple pie, apples, cinnamon, cream cheese, Granny Smith apples, hand pie, summer dessert, vanilla
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients
8ouncescream cheesesoftened
1cupbuttersoftened
2cupsflour
1/4teaspoonsalt
Filling Ingredients
2 to 3cupstart applespeeled and diced
1/3cupsugar
1teaspoonvanilla
1teaspooncinnamon
1/4teaspoonallspice
2 to 3tablespoonsbuttercold
Topping Ingredients
1egg yolk
2tablespoonswater
about 2 tablespoons sugarmixed with a teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is smooth. Beat in the flour and salt until everything is well combined. Form the dough into a rough ball (It might be sticky. Floured hands is a good idea.), and divide it into two pieces. Form each half into a disk, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
When you're ready to start assembling, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
In a bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients except the butter and stir well to evenly coat the apples.
Remove the dough disks from the fridge and cut each into 12 pieces. Keep any pieces you're not currently working with in the fridge to keep them from getting sticky.
To assemble the pies, roll out each ball of dough on a floured surface into about a four-inch circle.
Add about one tablespoon of apples on one side of the circle and add just a bit of butter. (I cut mine into roughly tablespoon-sized squares and then diced it. Each pie got two to three tiny dots of butter.)
Fold the dough over into a half-circle shape, and either fold the edges up to seal them or crimp them firmly with a fork.
Place the prepared pies one to two inches apart on a baking sheet.
Once your baking sheet is full, whisk the egg yolk and water in a small bowl. Brush the tops and edges of each pie with a thin layer of the egg mixture, and then sprinkle them liberally with the cinnamon/sugar mix. Finish the pies off by cutting two or three small slits in the top to let the steam vent while they cook.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the tops of your pies are golden brown. Remove the pies from the oven and let cool before storing in an air-tight container or serving.