Chef notes
While I’ll never say no to pie, I don’t always love making them. Between getting the dough right, crimping it for visual appeal and making sure the bottom isn’t soggy, there’s real skill required to bake a successful pie. Instead of a fussy recipe, I turn to these hand pies, which have all the joys of a regular pie with a fraction of the work. Better yet, they’re individually baked, so there’s no argument about who got the bigger slice.
I love serving these hand pies around the holidays for their on-theme color and great flavor. Packed with a cherry and goat cheese filling and finished with a sweet-meets-savory topping of sugar, salt and pepper, they’re a real crowd pleaser. I use both frozen and dried cherries in the filling, which adds a distinct texture and tartness to the pies. Rather than laboring over homemade dough, use store-bought puff pastry, which easily ensures perfectly flaky hand pies.
If you’re looking for a delicious way to use any leftover cherry filling, or if you want to make extra filling, I suggest making my Cherry and Lime Margaritas. It’s a festive cocktail that is just as fitting for Christmas as it is for Cinco de Mayo.
Get Ingredients: If you don’t have everything you need on hand, you can easily purchase all of the ingredients (just click the orange button below that says ‘Get Ingredients’). You can pick and choose exactly what ingredients you need based on what’s in your pantry and they’ll be on your doorstep before you know it.
Technique Tip: Hand pies can be fully assembled and stored in the freezer for up to three months before baking. It’s a great way to prepare for a party, brunch or when you just need an afternoon pick-me-up.
Swap Option: Candied ginger can be a polarizing flavor profile. If it’s not for you, simply omit it from the cherry filling.
Ingredients
- 1 box (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen dark sweet cherries
- 1/2 cup dried dark sweet cherries
- 1/4 cup chopped candied ginger
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- all-purpose flour, for dusting
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, to make egg wash
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon coarse sugar
- 2 limes, juiced (3-4 tablespoons)
- 4 tablespoons cherry filling
- 1 to 1½ ounces tequila
- 1 ounce triple sec
- 3 cups crushed ice, divided
- rosemary sprigs, for serving
- lime wedges, for serving
Preparation
For the Cherry and Goat Cheese Hand Pies
1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375 F.
2.In the meantime, place a small pot over medium heat and add in the frozen cherries, dried cherries and candied ginger. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes, or until the cherries have softened, stirring occasionally.
3.Add the almond extract, cinnamon, cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon salt and granulated sugar. Stir together and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the liquid thickens. Once finished cooking, remove from the stove and set aside. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
4.Place the puff pastry on a surface lightly dusted with flour and cut both pastry sheets into 6 pieces, creating a total of 12 pieces of cut pastry. Fill 6 of them with 2 tablespoons of cherry filling and a sprinkle of goat cheese. Top each with the other half of the cut pastry. Using a fork, crimp the edges of the tops and bottoms of each pie to ensure that the filling doesn't run out while baking. Place each hand pie onto the baking sheet.
5.In a small bowl, mix together the coarse sugar, ground black pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Then evenly brush each pie with a thin layer of egg wash and sprinkle with the sugar mixture.
6.Bake for 25 minutes, or until the hand pies are evenly golden-brown. Serve immediately or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
For the Cherry and Lime Margaritas:
1. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper and sugar. Dip two cocktail glass rims into the lime juice, then into the sugar mixture. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, add in the remaining lime juice and cherry filling into a cocktail shaker. Muddle the cherry until a course paste forms. Add in the tequila, triple sec and 1 cup of ice.
3. Cover the cocktail shaker with a lid and shake for a 30 seconds. Strain and pour the cocktail over the remaining ice and garnish with a rosemary sprig and lime wedge.
