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Caramel Apple Hand Pies

By Camila Chaparro

Published on October 13, 2020

Time

2 hours

Yield

Serves 8

Caramel Apple Hand Pies

Ingredients

2 (9½ by 9-inch) sheets puff pastry, thawed1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces (1 cup)½ cup All-Purpose Caramel Sauce 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water2 tablespoons sugar ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Before You Begin

To thaw frozen puff pastry, let it sit either in the refrigerator for 24 hours or on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Instructions

  1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2.  Working with 1 sheet of pastry at a time, roll into 10-inch square on floured counter. Cut pastry into four 5-inch squares. Place 2 tablespoons apple in center of each square and dollop 1 tablespoon caramel sauce over top.
  3.  Brush edges of squares with egg wash, then fold 1 corner of each square diagonally over filling. Using fork, crimp edges of dough to seal. Transfer pies to prepared sheet and cut three 1-inch slits on top (do not cut through filling). Freeze pies until firm, about 15 minutes. (Once frozen, pies can be transferred to airtight container and stored in freezer for up to 1 month.)
  4.  Combine sugar and cinnamon in bowl. Brush tops of pies with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake until well browned, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer pies to wire rack and let cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Caramel Apple Hand Pies
Styling by Elle Simone.

Caramel Apple Hand Pies

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Time

2 hours

Yield

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 (9½ by 9-inch) sheets puff pastry, thawed
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces (1 cup)
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Ingredients

2 (9½ by 9-inch) sheets puff pastry, thawed
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces (1 cup)
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Ingredients

2 (9½ by 9-inch) sheets puff pastry, thawed
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces (1 cup)
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted to combine caramel and apples in a filling for hand pies, for an easy, versatile dessert that could be eaten out of hand or served as an elegant plated dessert at a dinner party. How easy? All we needed to do for our filling was chop up a Granny Smith apple (tasters liked its tart flavor and the pieces held their shape nicely through baking) and dollop on a tablespoon of our classic Caramel Sauce. Finishing our hand pies with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar gave them a sweet sparkle and a superthin, shattering crust that looked beautiful and tasted great.

Before You Begin

To thaw frozen puff pastry, let it sit either in the refrigerator for 24 hours or on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Instructions

  1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2.  Working with 1 sheet of pastry at a time, roll into 10-inch square on floured counter. Cut pastry into four 5-inch squares. Place 2 tablespoons apple in center of each square and dollop 1 tablespoon caramel sauce over top.
  3.  Brush edges of squares with egg wash, then fold 1 corner of each square diagonally over filling. Using fork, crimp edges of dough to seal. Transfer pies to prepared sheet and cut three 1-inch slits on top (do not cut through filling). Freeze pies until firm, about 15 minutes. (Once frozen, pies can be transferred to airtight container and stored in freezer for up to 1 month.)
  4.  Combine sugar and cinnamon in bowl. Brush tops of pies with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake until well browned, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer pies to wire rack and let cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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