These Leaf Shaped Apple Hand Pies are such a fun and festive dessert to make for this time of year. They have a flaky, buttery crust, and a sweet, cinnamon apple filling so they taste delicious.
These Leaf Shaped Apple Hand Pies are so easy to make. I have a printable template you can use to get those cute leaf shapes, no cookie cutters needed!
A FEW NOTES BEFORE WE GET STARTED
Chilled Butter:
It's crucial that your butter is very cold. If at any point it or your dough becomes too warm to work with, make sure to place it in the fridge to chill and firm back up before working with further.
Measuring Your Ingredients:
I strongly encourage that you use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients and ensure that you have the most accurate measurements possible.
However, if you don’t have a scale on hand and will be using cup measurements, make sure to use the “spoon and sweep” method when measuring to avoid packing in too much of any dry ingredient.
You'll first want to start by printing and cutting out the leaves from the leaf template. It's best to print it on cardstock so it is sturdy enough to work with.
Preheat your oven to 375º degrees. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Blend the butter into the flour mixture with your hands or a pastry blender until the butter is about pea sized. Pour the water over the flour and stir together until it begins to form into a dough.
Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured piece of parchment. Place the leaf template over the dough and carefully cut around it using a sharp pairing knife. Transfer each leaf to a parchment lined baking sheet and place back into the fridge until ready to use.
Repeat this process, rerolling the dough as needed, until you have cut out four of both types of leaves for a total of four hand pies. Chill the leaves for 10-15 minutes.
While the leaves chill in the fridge, peel and dice the apple into small pieces and place them in a small bowl. Stir in the sugar and cinnamon and set aside. Whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl.
Carefully scoop a little bit of the apple filling into the center of two of each type of leaf. You'll have some leftover apple to snack on or use as an ice cream topping.
Flip over the tops and coat their undersides with egg wash and then place them egg wash side down over the apple. Gently push down to make sure they adhere. Use a sharp knife to cut off any excess dough.
Coat each hand pie with more egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake hand pies for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!
These Leaf Shaped Apple Hand Pies are such a fun and festive dessert to make for this time of year. They have a flaky, buttery crust, and a sweet, cinnamon apple filling so they taste delicious.
Author:Marisa Guerra
Prep Time:50 minutes
Cook Time:25 minutes
Total Time:1 hour and 15 minutes
Yield:4 servings
Category:Dessert
Ingredients
Dough
150 grams (1 ¼ cups) flour
1 ½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
4 oz (½ cup) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
2– 3 tablespoon ice cold water
Filling
1 pink lady or honeycrisp apple
1 tbsp sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
Egg Wash
1 large egg
2 tsp water
Turbinado sugar, for topping
Instructions
Apple Hand Pies
Preheat oven to 375º degrees.
As the oven preheats, download, print, and cut out the leaf template.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
Blend the butter into the flour mixture with your hands or a pastry blender until the butter is about pea sized.
Pour the water over the flour and stir together until it begins to form into a dough.
Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured piece of parchment. Place the leaf template over the dough and carefully cut around it using a sharp pairing knife. Transfer each leaf to a parchment lined baking sheet and place back into the fridge until ready to use.
Repeat this process, rerolling the dough as needed, until you have cut out four of both types of leaves for a total of four hand pies. Chill the leaves for 10-15 minutes.
While the leaves chill in the fridge, peel and dice the apple into small pieces and place them in a small bowl. Stir in the sugar and cinnamon and set aside. Whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl.
Carefully scoop a little bit of the apple filling into the center of two of each type of leaf. You'll have some leftover apple to snack on or use as an ice cream topping.
Flip over the tops and coat their undersides with egg wash and then place them egg wash side down over the apple. Gently push down to make sure they adhere. Use a sharp knife to cut off any excess dough.
Coat each hand pie with more egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake hand pies for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!
Notes
If you don’t have turbinado sugar, you can use granulated or coarse sugar.
I like to use pink lady or honeycrisp apples, but any other apple that works well for baking can be subbed.
If at any point your dough becomes difficult to work with, make sure to pop it into the fridge to chill. You never want your dough to become too warm or the butter will melt. This is why it's also helpful to roll it out on parchment so it's easy to stick a cookie sheet under it and transfer it to the fridge for a break if needed.
Leftover hand pies should be stored in an airtight container and eaten with the next day or two. They are best eaten fresh but can be reheated slightly in the microwave or oven.
