Caramelized Apple Hand Pies

Drove Tuesday, short. Home.

Justin game Friday — 19 carries, 145 yards, 2 TDs. Team won. He is averaging nearly 125 yards per game this season. The paper has a feature on him Sunday — a half page with a photograph of him running. The headline: "Wheeler-Novak: The Quiet Engine of the GISH Offense." I bought six copies.

Book two at 75,500.

Gayle had a great week. She walked outside for the first time in months — Saturday, warm sunny day, around the yard with me. Ten minutes. She was tired but pleased. "I saw the trees," she said. I said, "The trees look good, Ma." She said, "Brenda. I am glad I am here."

Sunday I made pumpkin soup. Gayle said it was "pedestrian but correct." I will take it.

Gayle’s review of the pumpkin soup — “pedestrian but correct” — has become something I think I’ll be laughing about for years, and honestly it put me in the mood to keep cooking through the rest of that golden Sunday afternoon. I had apples on the counter and a week’s worth of feelings I didn’t quite know what to do with — Justin’s big game, Ma walking outside and seeing the trees, all of it sitting warm in my chest — and these hand pies were the answer. There’s something about the small, personal size of them that felt right: one for Justin, one for Ma, one for me, each one its own little thing worth being glad about.

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 8 hand pies

Ingredients

2 sheets refrigerated pie crust (or 1 batch homemade double-crust dough)
3 medium apples (such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and diced small
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)
2 tablespoons coarse or turbinado sugar (for topping)

Instructions

Preheat. Heat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Caramelize the apples. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until apples are tender and the liquid turns a deep amber caramel.
Thicken the filling. Stir together the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until smooth. Pour into the apple mixture and stir for 1–2 minutes until the filling thickens. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
Cut the dough. Unroll pie crust sheets on a lightly floured surface. Using a 4-inch round cutter (or a small bowl as a guide), cut out 8 circles total, re-rolling scraps as needed.
Fill and seal. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of cooled filling onto one half of each dough circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon. Press the edges firmly to seal, then crimp with a fork.
Egg wash and vent. Whisk the beaten egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the tops of all hand pies with egg wash, then sprinkle generously with coarse sugar. Cut two small slits in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape.
Bake. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 22–25 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and filling is bubbling at the vents. Let rest on the pan for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Caramelized Apple Hand Pies — What “Pedestrian but Correct” Looks Like in My Kitchen