Description
This heart shaped cherry hand pie is a delicious little treat. Filled with homemade cherry pie filling, they are perfect for Valentine’s Day, or any day!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 can red tart cherries in water; reserving half of the liquid (I buy Oregon Fruit Products, usually sold in the canned fruit section rather than with the canned pie fillings in the baking aisle)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/3 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
- Scant 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract
- 1 recipe pie crust (see below, or buy if you prefer)
- Egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water)
Instructions
- Mix the cherries, half the liquid from the can, sugar, cornstarch, and almond extract in a heavy-bottomed pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, for 8-10 minutes or until the liquid turns thick, gels, and bubbles. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Also, bring the pie crust dough out of the fridge to soften slightly (15 min).
- Roll out half of the pie crust on a floured surface. Use a 3 inch, heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut hearts out of the dough. Transfer to parchment-paper-lined cookie sheets.
- Spoon a couple tablespoons of cherry filling onto the center of each heart.
- Cover each with a second dough heart. Press the edges closed with fork tines.
- Use a sharp knife to cut an X (for a kiss) in the top crust.
- (Alternately, use a tiny heart cookie cutter to punch a heart out of the center of the top crusts, before placing them over the filling.) Brush each hand pie with egg wash, then sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown at edges.
- Enjoy warm or at room temperature.