![Southern Living Cherry-Lime Hand Pies](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.southernliving.com/thmb/SZYUJoMC7w_ZbvEdS51rEBEvEEU=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/27277_Hand-Pies_CHERRY_HAND_PIES_147-1-d45bd145640944439b751910bf21acbf.jpg)
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Matthew Gleason; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
Think of these cherry hand pies like the dessert form of a summer Cherry Limeade. The filling combines sweet, peak season cherries with fresh lime zest and juice for a refreshing tang. And the buttery, flaky dough couldn’t be easier to make, since it comes together in a food processor.
If you don't have a food processor (or don’t want to dig yours out of the cupboard), the dough can easily be made using a pastry cutter or your hands instead. The crust can even be made and stored in the fridge for up to four days or frozen until ready to use. If freezing, just make sure to thaw the dough in the fridge overnight the day before you plan on using it, and let it stand at room temperature until it’s easy to roll (but not soft), about 15 minutes.
These hand pies are great for party favors, on the go snacks, and potlucks. Our favorite way to enjoy them, though? In a bowl with a scoop of ice cream or dollop of whipped cream.
Ingredients
Dough:
-
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
-
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
-
1 tsp. kosher salt
-
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
-
6-8 Tbsp. ice water, as needed
Filling:
-
2 cups pitted stemmed fresh cherries (from 10 oz. whole cherries), halved lengthwise
-
1/3 cup granulated sugar
-
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
-
1 Tbsp. grated lime zest plus 1 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 1 lime)
Additional ingredients:
-
1 large egg, beaten
-
2 Tbsp. turbinado sugar or sparkling sugar
Directions
-
Prepare the Dough:
Pulse together flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined, about 5 pulses. Add butter cubes; pulse until texture resembles coarse meal, about 10 pulses. Sprinkle mixture with 6 tablespoons ice water; pulse mixture 4 pulses. Add up to 2 additional tablespoons ice water as needed, using 1 tablespoon at a time and pulsing after each addition, until Dough just begins to clump together.
Transfer to a lightly floured work surface, and knead until it just comes together, about 30 seconds. Shape Dough into a disk, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
-
Unwrap chilled Dough, and roll out on a lightly floured work surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut out as many rounds as you can. Reroll scraps up to 2 times to make 20 Dough rounds total. Place rounds on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to use.
-
Prepare the Filling:
Stir together cherries, sugar, cornstarch, and lime zest and juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high; boil, stirring often, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer saucepan to refrigerator; chill until room temperature, about 1 hour.
-
Fill pies with fruit mixture:
Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in upper third and center positions. Place 1 heaping tablespoon Filling on center of each of the 10 Dough rounds. Brush edges of the Filling-topped rounds with some of the beaten egg. Top with remaining rounds. Press Dough edges to seal, and crimp using a fork. Cut 4 small (about 1/2-inch-long) slits into the top of each pie.
-
Bake pies:
Arrange pies 2 inches apart on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Brush tops of pies evenly with remaining beaten egg; sprinkle evenly with turbinado sugar. Bake in preheated oven until browned, 25 to 28 minutes, rotating baking sheets between top and middle racks halfway through bake time. Let cool completely on baking sheets, about 30 minutes.