Apple Hand Pies with Puff Pastry
These apple hand pies with puff pastry are perfectly flaky and stuffed with juicy apple filling. The apples are chopped into small cubes so that when they cook, they soften nicely in the oven but not so much that they lose their texture. I use a homemade puff pastry in mine but you could also use store-bought if you’re short on time.
About these pies
I think puff pastry is a perfect pairing with apple pie filling, especially if it’s homemade and made with real butter. I have an inverted puff pastry recipe on the blog, a rough puff pastry, or a sourdough puff pastry. Any of these options work perfectly for this recipe. I love that puff pastry doesn’t feel dense or heavy to eat, it just shatters in the mouth and is a great contrast to juicy apples. If you’re short on time, go a head and use pre-made puff pastry, it’s just not going to taste quite as good.
The apple filling is really simple, it’s just fresh apples, brown sugar, spices, and a touch of flour to thicken the apple juices. I don’t pre-cook the apples before adding them to the pastry, so that makes things easier. Just make sure to chop them into small cubes so they soften in time and turn tender and jammy but without becoming mush.
Just a few ingredients
Method
- Peel and chop the apples.
- Mix with the rest of the filling ingredients.
- Roll two sheets of puff pastry into large squares of around 11″. Cut each into 9 squares.
- Brush 9 of the squares with a border of egg wash and dollop on the apple filling.
- Add on the pastry lids and seal with a fork.
- Brush with egg wash, make slits and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake until deeply browned and puffed, then drizzle with glaze.
Storing
These puff pastry apple hand pies are best eaten on the day that they are made. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to 2 days.Reheat them in the oven for around 10 minutes until warmed through.
All the components can be made in advance, though the assembling of the pies is best done right before baking.
More pastry and apple recipes
Apple Hand Pies with Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 480 g puff pastry
- 2 medium apples 320–340 g peeled and cored, diced 1/4" (5mm) small
- 50 g soft brown sugar
- 2 tsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg optional
- 1/8 tsp salt
Egg wash
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp water
- turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top
Glaze
- 60 g powdered sugar
- 1/2-1 Tbsp milk or water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the first puff pastry sheet to about 27 x 27 cm (10.5 x 10.5 in) and cut it into a 3 x 3 grid so you have 9 squares. These will be the bottoms. 480 g puff pastry
- Roll out the second sheet of puff pastry to the same size, 27 x 27 cm (10.5 x 10.5 in), and cut it into another 9 squares. These will be the tops.
- Place the 9 bottoms on one or two baking trays, leaving space between each one.
- In a bowl, mix the diced apples with the sugar, flour, lemon, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until the apples are evenly coated. 50 g soft brown sugar, 2 tsp all-purpose flour, 1 tsp lemon juice, 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp salt
- Mix an egg with a tablespoon of water and use a pastry brush to brush the edges of the bottom 9 squares. 1 egg, 1 Tbsp water
- Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of filling into the center of each bottom square.
- Place a top square over each bottom. Press the edges together and crimp with a fork to seal.
- Brush egg wash over the tops. Cut a small slit or two in the top of each pie to let steam escape. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar if you like. turbinado sugar
- Bake for 20–25 minutes until puffed and deep golden.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth and pourable. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled pies before serving. 60 g powdered sugar, 1/2-1 Tbsp milk
