Apple Hand Pies

Perfect for a picnic, these adorable little pies have the added surprise of pistachios. You can make these in any shape you like: in rounds as instructed, as squares, or folded over into triangles or half circles.

Apple Hand Pies

2 rounds Basic Pie Dough

1/4 cup (2 oz./60 g) granulated sugar

2 lb. (1 kg) Pink Lady or Fuji apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/8-inch (3-mm) slices

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) unsalted pistachios, toasted and chopped

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 egg beaten with 1 tsp. water

Turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Vanilla ice cream for serving

Using a 4-inch (10-cm) round cutter, cut out 20 rounds from the pie dough, gathering the scraps of dough and rerolling as needed. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before assembling the pies.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, combine the granulated sugar and 3/4 cup (180 ml) water and cook, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the apples, cinnamon, cardamom and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are just tender and the liquid is slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the pistachios and lemon zest and juice. Let cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Space half of the dough rounds on the prepared baking sheet, at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Brush them with some of the egg mixture, then place about 1/4 cup (1 oz./30 g) of the apple filling in the center of each. Top each with a remaining dough round. Press top and bottom edges together, then crimp with a fork. Brush the tops with the egg mixture and cut small steam vents. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake until the crust is golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room
temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Makes 10 hand pies.

For this and more than 35 ideas for sweet and savory pies check
out The Pie Cookbook our all-inclusive guide to making pies by
The Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen Cooks