Apple-Cinnamon Hand Pies

 "I think your face is beautiful, the way it is
close to my face, and I think you are the real
October with your transparence and the stone
of your words as they pass, as I do not hear them."
                       ~ Bill Berkson, from "October"

October, October...October. Hello, at last.

When it comes to spelling and dialect, I've always been an eclectic smorgasbord of a French father and a New England mom. When I was little I once ran up to my second grade teacher telling her how excited I was about having had my hairs cut the previous day. (I was still trying to grasp the nuances of the English language.) Even now, unless I remember to correct myself, I sneak in an errant 'u' when spelling certain words (a letter my dad always forgot to omit, too). And thanks to my mom, I'm convinced that the word 'idea' should have an 'r' at the end and that 'quarter' should be pronounced as though one is about to squat down upon something.

Happily I also inherited a savage appreciation for all things homemade (from both sides of the idiosyncratic family!).

Growing up I was never allowed to have prepackaged...anything. Although, as I mentioned once already, I once"discovered" my mom's not-so-secret stash of Pepperidge Farm cookies.

I yearned for Little Debbie, Ho Ho's and Hostess hand pies. To help alleviate the latter, my mom made her own hand apple hand pies. They were unbelievably scrumptious! Unfortunately my mom could not find the recipe. So when I wanted to capture a little bit of my childhood, I had to rely on something that I didn't have as a child, the internet. (How on earth did we make it through the 80's and 90's without this thing?)

These little hand pies have a flaky, all-butter crust and a sweet cinnamon-y apple filling. They're rustic, homey and perfect to nibble on whilst imagining what to bake next.

Even though nothing can compare to the taste of a childhood memory, this recipe does step quite close to cosy kitchen aromas, blustery days filled with leaves making a witches circle around the porch and evenings spent trying to learn math(s) from a metric system dad + a numerically-challenged mom. ♥

Apple-Cinnamon Hand Pies
makes about 12-16 hand pies

for the crust
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (that's 2 sticks) unsalted butter, very cold and cut into bits
1 cup ice water (you probably won't need a full cup, but have it ready just in case)

for the filling
3 McIntosh apples (or Granny Smith)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

for the topping
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup granulated sugar

method
Prepare the crust: Place the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt into the bowl of a large food processor. {Note: If you have a small processor, divide the ingredients and make half at a time.} Pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bits of cold butter over the dry ingredients. Pulse a few times, just until your left with a crumbly mixture (you should see oatmeal and pea-size pieces of dough). Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of the ice water over the dough. Pulse a few times. Add about 1 more Tablespoon of ice water. Pulse again. If the dough has begun to come together on the blade, and if it sticks together when pinched, then it's ready. If it still looks a bit shaggy, add a splash more water and keep adding until it just comes together.
Dump the dough onto a floured surface. Quickly and gently knead, just to incorporate any stray pieces of dry ingredients. Gather the dough into a ball. Divide it in half and pat each half into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Prepare the filling: Peel, core, and chop the apples. {Note: Since the pies are small, try not to keep the apple pieces relatively small.} Place the chopped apples into a medium-size bowl. Add the lemon, sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and ginger. Stir everything together until evenly coated. Cover the bowl as you roll out the dough.

Have the beaten egg on hand, ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Remove one dough disk from the refrigerator. On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a rough circle until it's about 1/8" thick. {Don't worry about the circle being perfect, you're going to be cutting out mini-circles.} Use a 4 1/2-inch biscuit (or cookie cutter ) to cut out as many circles as possible. (Save the scraps.) Place the cut-out circles of dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to moisten the edges of each circle with egg. Add about 1 Tablespoon of the apple filing into the center of the circles (be sure to leave about a 3/4-inch of bare dough around the edges). Fold each circle in half and pinch the edges together to seal. Use a fork to crimp the edges. Cut two small slits into the top of each pie, brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Repeat with the remaining disk. {Note: The scraps can be re-rolled.}

Bake for 18-23 minutes or until the pies are golden brown. Remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.

The hand pies are best enjoyed on the same day that they're made, but well-covered, they will still be good the next day!

Adapted from the faux Martha