Cheery Holiday Party Cherry Hand Pie Recipe

By: Jessica Marcy

The holidays are all about the sweet treats. Am I right or am I right? I’m sure that we all agree that I’m right.

Here at Plum Deluxe we hold desserts in high esteem. I mean there’s just something so delightful about sitting down with a steaming cup of tea and a little something sweet for breakfast, an afternoon snack, a dessert, or even a sneaky late night treat. Really, any time we get to combine the perfect tea with a dessert it’s pretty much magic. So yes, we are big on desserts around here. That's why today we're throwing a Cherry Hand Pie holiday party!

We really love these little hand pies, especially for their smaller sizes. The crusts are more forgiving, they bake up quickly, and it’s so much easier to sneak one off the tray as opposed to having to cut a slice out of a whole pie. They make great gifts, and are so easy to serve at a large party.

This particular recipe uses a cherry filling because it’s a juicy red color that reminds us of the holiday season that we are now in. While we use fresh cherries here, it is possible to use the store-bought cherry pie filling if you’re looking to save some time.

Our recipe also uses a prepared pie crust; we want to note that there are many types of pie crusts. If you are using a store-bought crust, make sure that it has completely come up to room temperature before you roll it out (it’s likely to crack if it is too cold). If using a homemade crust, it may be easier to start with it cold, so keep it in the fridge until you prepare the filing. Knowing your pie crust can make all the difference in how easily you can handle it.

Try out this awesome recipe with a cup full of your favorite tea (the Garden Grove Green is a perfect pairing with its cherry, vanilla, and jasmine notes), and you’ll understand what we are talking about.

Holiday Cherry Hand Pies

Ingredients:

1 pie crust recipe (2 rounds) prepared
1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
12 ounces frozen pitted cherries
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon milk

Directions:
Prepare your pie crust and set aside.
Combine the water and corn starch in a small bowl until well blended. Set aside.
In a large, thick-bottomed sauce pan combine the cherries, sugar, and salt over medium heat, stirring occasionally. The cherries will melt and begin to soften. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. Cook at a boil for one minute and then remove from heat and let stand until cooled, stirring occasionally.
While the cherry mixture cools, roll out your pie crust to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut the crust into 6-inch by 5-inch rectangles.
Dampen the edges of the rectangles with a little water on your fingertips. Scoop roughly 3 tablespoons of the cherry mixture onto one side of each dough rectangle. Fold the dough over to create a packet. Use the back of a fork to crimp the edges closed. Cut a few slits in the top to let out steam, and repeat until you run out of dough or filling. Place the completed hand pies onto a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray.
Brush the tops of the pies lightly with milk and place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Place the pies directly into the preheated oven from the fridge and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Serve warm.

Jessica Marcy

JC is from Upstate NY and is the blogger behind Sweet Love & Ginger. She believes in celebrating a healthy lifestyle and can be found enjoying the great outdoors, crafting, cooking and entertaining.

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