These Apple Caramel Hand Pies feature my Amazing Pastry Dough Recipe that mimics puff pastry without all the fuss. There are no butter blocks to contend with, no butter breaking through and not worries. With apple season just around the corner, what could be better than caramels and apples enclosed in a flaky pastry?
Hand Pies have been around as long as people have been cooking. Anything enclosed in bread or pastry that can be eaten out of hand qualifies. It can be a turnover, English pasty, a calzone, or Russian pierogis. Every culture has a hand pie no matter what they call it.
Another recipe using this pastry is the Amazing Pastry Dough Recipe. If your looking for another easy pastry see my Easier "Danish Pastry Recipe", Pithiviers Made with Blitz Puff Pastry, Sunny Side Up Apricot Pastries, and the Chocolate Raspberry Pop Tarts.
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About the Amazing Pastry Dough
It is important when making the pastry to make sure the butter stays in pea size piece as in a pie crust. The pastry should not come together in the mixer. It should be removed as soon as it clumps together. It is pushed together into a cohesive dough on the work surface and rolled into a rectangle. I fold mine into what is called a book fold as has more layers than the traditional three fold laminated pastry.
It is best to make the pastry at least the day or up to three days ahead. It rolls out easily. When making pastry for a hand pie, do not roll it out too thick, especially as this will rise as does puff pastry but not as dramatically.
Let's Talk Caramel
This recipe calls for the use of a bought caramel, Werther's Original soft and chewy caramels. But my caramel would make an even better version. Just use about 1 tablespoon per hand pie and place it on the bottom of the hand pie with the apple filling over it.
A salted version can be made by sprinkling coarse sea salt lightly over the caramel.
Or, if you wish, omit the caramel and just use the apple filling. This filling is a great basic apple filling for anything made with apples.
Potato or Cornstarch?
A word about the potato starch. I have recently switched from cornstarch to potato starch for a couple of reasons. The first is anything thickened with potato starch can be frozen and thawed with no harm. Cornstarch will break down if frozen and thawed. Secondly, potato starch can be heated to a higher temperature than cornstarch. If you have ever cooked something with cornstarch in it and it has lost its thickness, it was cooked too long or at too high a heat. The potato starch, like cornstarch, is clear when cooked.
This Apple Caramel Hand Pie can be frozen before baking without the egg wash. It is best to bring it to room temperature, egg wash it and then bake it. Hand Pies are great to have in the freezer when you want a quick dessert or treat.
List of Ingredients
Amazing Pastry Dough Recipe
FRONT ROW: Salt, Baking Powder
MIDDLE ROW: Unsalted Butter
BACK ROW: All-purpose flour, sour cream
Filling Ingredients 1
CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOP: Apples, water, potato starch, cinnamon, nutmeg, granulated sugar, lemon juice in the middle
Filling Ingredients 2
FRONT ROW: Amazing pastry dough
BACK ROW: Werther Soft Caramels, cooked apple filling
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients &instructions.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Amazing Pastry Dough
If at any point the dough begins to soften, chill it in the refrigerator or freezer before moving on
Step 1. Cut the very cold butter in about 8 pieces per stick. If prepping the remainder of the recipe, refrigerate the butter. Step 2. Place the dry ingredients in the bowl of a mixer. Step 3. Add the cold butter. Step 4. With the mixer set on low, but the butter in leaving large pieces.
Step 5. Add the sour cream to the mixer. Step 6. Add 2 tablespoons of water and beat on low to form a large crumbly dough. Step 7. Pour the dough onto a work area. Step 8. Push it together to form a cohesive block of dough.
Step 9. To make rolling out easier, flatten the dough in about 3 or 4 places with the rolling pin. Step 10. Roll the dough out to about 16" x8". Step 11. Fold the top and bottom to the center, leaving about a ½" gap. Step 12. Fold the top down to make a neat package.
Step 13. Turn the pastry 90° with the open side to the right and repeat the rolling and folding above one more time. Step 14. Roll the dough into a 12 ½"x 18 ½" rectangle. Step 15. Using a 6" circle cut 6 rounds out of the dough. Step 16. Four of the cut rounds. The photos above are representative.
Apple Caramel Hand Pies
Step 1. Peel the apples and cut into about ½ inch dice. You should have about 4 cups. Combine the apples with the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and water. Step 2. Place in a medium saucepan and simmer until the apples are tender. When the apples are almost done, stir the potato starch into the lemon juice and add to the apple mixture. Bring to a boil and cook several minutes until thickened. Cool completely. Step 3. Line 4 caramels along the bottom of the rounds, leaving a ½ inch border. Sprinkle with a little sea salt if using. Step 4. Place ⅙ of the filling (scant ⅓ cup) over the caramels. Wet the border with water.
Step 5. bring the top down over the apples matching the edges. Press together. Step 6. Seal with the tines of a fork. Refrigerate the hand pies until completely cold before cutting the vents to make a cleaner looking pastry. Step 7. Cut a slit in the top of the hand pie. Step 8. Brush with the egg wash. Double pan and bake as directed.
Recipe FAQS
No not at all. They can be half moons, triangles, whole circles with two pieces of dough instead of one.
Although some say they are different, I say they are the same. The pastry might be different but a hand pie is meant to be eaten out of your hand as is a turnover so I don't see any difference.
No. The Cornish hand pie which was often sent to the mine with the workers were substantially filled with meat, vegetables and a sturdy crust. Tiddly in naval slang means 'proper', a common adjective and adverb used
According to the History of Tiddly Oggies, Tiddly in naval slang means 'proper', a common adjective and adverb used by Cornish people, and oggie was the term for a pastie in cornwall, so “tiddly oggie” meant proper pasty. Cornish rugby supporters later adopted the chant “Oggie, oggie, oggie, oi, oi, oi!” when cheering on their team.
Storage and Freezing
This Apple Caramel Hand Pie can be frozen before baking without the egg wash. It is best to bring it to room temperature, egg wash it and then bake it. Hand Pies are great to have in the freezer when you want a quick dessert or treat.
They can be kept at room temperature for several days. Warming them slightly enhances their flavor.
Expert Tips
- Cold and clean are two of the most important points when making laminated doughs. If the butter softens at any time, refrigerate or freeze briefly to get it cold again. Make sure if any dough sticks to the rolling pin, to clean it off with a paper towel immediately. If you continue to roll, more pastry will stick to the pin and the pastry can tear.
- Refrigerate the filled pastries before cutting the vents on top and egg washing. This will make cleaner cuts for a better looking pastry. This should be done just before baking.
- These keep well at room temperature, uncovered for a day or two.
- The pastry can be made in its entirety and frozen well wrapped for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight to use. Warm in a 350° oven for 10 to 15 minutes if cold, less if room temperature.
- The completed pastries can also be frozen well wrapped for up to 3 months without the egg wash. Egg wash them just before baking. Either thaw them overnight and bake cold or bake them from the freezer adding additional time.
- Mixing a Granny Smith with Gala apples is a great combo for these hand pies. Cutting the apples in about ½" dice is a good size.
- If using cornstarch instead of potato starch these should not be frozen or they may leak after thawing and heating. Cornstarch breaks down in the freezer.
More Delicious Apple Treats
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Apple Caramel Hand Pies
Ingredients
Amazing Pastry Dough
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour (245 grams)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter, (225 grams or 2 sticks)
- ½ cup sour cream, cold (114 grams)
- 2 tablespoons water
Apple Caramel Hand Pies
- 1 large Granny Smith apple
- 2 Gala apples
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon potato starch or cornstarch
- 2 5 oz. bags Werther's Original Chewy Caramels
- Coarse Sea Salt, optional
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
Amazing Pastry Dough
- Cut the very cold butter in about ¾" pieces per stick. If prepping the remainder of the recipe, refrigerate the butter until needed..
- Place the flour, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a mixer. Mix briefly to combine.
- Place the butter over the flour and mix on low to medium to break up the butter but keep it in large pieces.
- Add the sour cream and mix to bring it together. Add the water and mix to form large crumbs. It should not ball up or come together completely.
- Pour it out onto a work surface and push together to form a rectangular block of dough. Knead it 3 or 4 times to smooth it out, keeping the butter in large pieces.
- Press a rolling pin into the dough about 3 or4 times several inches apart from the top to the bottom. These "hills and valleys" will help roll out the dough more evenly.
- Sprinkle the surface lightly with flour. Roll the dough to a 16" x 8" rectangle. If the pastry begins to soften, chill it until firm.
- Brush off any flour and fold the top and bottom to the center of the pastry, leaving a ½" channel in the middle.
- Brush off any flour and fold the top and bottom to the center of the pastry, leaving a ½" channel in the middle.
- Fold the top over the bottom, creating a book like pstry. Turn the pastry 90° with the fold to left.
- Lightly sprinkle the surface with flour and repeat the rolling and folding. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until cold throughout, overnight or up to 3 days. It can also be placed in a freezer bag and frozen for several months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
- Keep the dough refrigerated while preparing the filling.
Apple Caramel Hand Pies
- Peel the apples and cut into about ½ inch dice. You should have about 4 cups.
- Combine the apples with the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and water. Place them in a medium saucepan and simmer until the apples are tender.
- When the apples are almost done, stir the potato starch into the lemon juice and add it to the apple mixture. Bring to a boil and cook several minutes until thickened. Cool completely.
Assembly
- If at any point the pastry becomes soft, refrigerate or freeze to firm it up. The butter needs to be kept in pieces for the highest rise. Lightly flour the surface.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a ½ sheet with parchment. Set aside.
- Roll the pastry into a 12 ½" x 18 ½" inch rectangle. With a 6" round cutter (a saucer or cake round is fine) cut 6 rounds out of the pastry. Refrigerate if soft.
- Line 4 caramels along the bottom of the rounds, leaving a ½ inch border on the bottom and sides. Sprinkle with a little sea salt if using. Place ⅙ of the filling (scant ⅓ cup) over the caramels.
- Wet the bottom border with water, bring the top down over the apples matching the edges. Press together. Seal with the tines of a fork. Refrigerate until cold.
- Brush with egg wash. Cut a vent in the top.
- Double pan and bake for 18 to 22 minutes until medium golden brown. Cool. Serve slightly warm.
- These will keep up to 2 days at room temperature or they can be frozen either baked or unbaked without the egg wash. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, brush with egg wash and bake as called for. If baking from the freezer, brush with egg wash and add extra time baking to a medium golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
As
Judy says
Good Morning Helen,
would you consider using Clear Jel for the potato starch? I too have stopped using cornstarch as my thickener for pies etc. This is an interesting substitution.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Judy, Only instant clearjel will work if you want to freeze the product and then thaw and reheat. Regular clearjel will break down just as does cornstarch.
Ruth Mac says
Hi Helen,
This looks delicious! I will definitely try it.
hfletcher says
Thanks Ruth - I hope you do.
sallybr says
Never made a sweet type hand pie - which back in Brazil would be called "PASTEL" - (plural = PASTEIS)
the idea is wonderful, though and the filling that you pick, of course, a complete classic!
hfletcher says
What do you fill the savory hand pies with Sally? I make savory ones also but use a different pastry for those.
Sandra Navarro says
Good morning. Making your apple hand pies now. Your instructions for the apple filling says to add water to apples but the recipe does not give the amount of water.
How much water is needed?
Thank you
Sandra
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Sandra - 1/4 cup. Sorry and thanks. I'm adding it now.
Sandra Navarro says
Thank you for the quick response. Hope mine look and taste as good as yours.
Sandra
Helen S Fletcher says
You're welcome. They'll be great and everyone will love them.
Manisha says
hi Helen,
this apple pie looks lovely and i loved your mock puff pastry. Will wait for a cooler weather to try this recipe. Its already 104 degrees here!!!!!!
Love
hfletcher says
Hi Manisha: WE are having wonderful weather - wish you were here.