SANDRA'S EASY APPLE HAND PIES

 

So easy and delicious,
and these freeze beautifully
allowing you to bake them whenever you get a craving for them...

Yield: 8 Hand Pies
Prep: 20 Mins.
Bake: 15 Mins.
 
INGREDIENTS
 
FILLING:
1 TB salted butter
1 TB all-purpose flour
1 TB packed brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tsp apple pie spice blend
1 large honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored and finely diced
 
1 can refrigerated grand biscuit dough
 
—3 TB melted butter
—Cinnamon-sugar
 
METHOD
 
Heat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Melt 3 TB butter; set aside with a pastry brush.
In a cold, small heavy-bottom saucepan, place all the filling ingredients into pan. Place over medium heat and constantly stir until apples are tender and sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. (I like to make the filling ahead of time so I don’t have to wait for it to cool when I’m ready to bake these hand pies.)
 
Meanwhile, separate dough into 8 pieces; roll each into 5” rounds.
 
Place 2 tablespoons of filling slightly off center on each round. Fold dough over filling; press edges with fork to seal. Brush each with melted butter; sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Cut a small slit atop each hand pie.
 
Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown, turning baking sheet halfway through baking. Immediately remove hand pies from baking sheet to a cooling rack. Cool 5 minutes before serving; serve warm. ~ Enjoy!
 
TIP:
To freeze, place un-baked hand pies on a baking sheet in a single layer and flash-freeze for 3 hours. Place in a ziploc freezer bag, removing as much air as possible, then label and date.
 
Cook frozen hand pies in a preheated 350F oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

 

SANDRA'S MOOSE SAUSAGE and CARAMELIZED PIZZA HAND PIES

Delectable filling includes a combination of

caramelized onion, polish-sausage-style moose, mozzarella,

parmesan, parsley and a red sauce...

Yields: (8 Hand Pies)

Prep: 30 Mins. (Not including pizza dough 10-Min/1-Hr prep/rise time)

Bake: 30 Mins.

homemade pizza dough

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Pinch of sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 recipe of homemade pizza dough

All-purpose flour, for dusting

2-1⁄4 cups shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup (6" piece) polish-sausage-style moose [Alaska Sausage Company], casings removed, cubed

 -- (Render fat by cooking on low for 5 minutes in a dry skillet; drain on paper towel lined plate)

2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

homemade pizza sauce

3 tablespoons homemade pizza sauce, plus more for dipping when serving

1⁄2 cup shaved parmesan

-- Egg wash:

1 large egg slightly beaten

1/4 teaspoon water

-- Coarse kosher salt, sprinkle tops before baking

METHOD

If previously refrigerated, make sure pizza dough is at room temperature (takes about 1 hour).

Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, sugar, salt, and pepper, and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 30 minutes, let cool. [Can easily be prepared ahead of time.]

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Dust work surface and dough lightly with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a rectangle large enough to cut out 16 squares about 1⁄4" thick. Use a 3-1/2" square cutter, or knife, to cut dough into squares. If dough becomes hard to roll, simply let it rest 10 minutes, then continue working it.

Brush olive oil over center (not edges) of half of the square bottom sections. Dividing ingredients equally among half of the squares without over-filling - sprinkle each with half the mozzarella. Top with moose sausage, caramelized onion, and parsley; drizzle with pizza sauce. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and the parmesan over top of each. Place top of squares over filled bottom squares, press edges to initially adhere with fingertips, then with a fork tines to completely seal.  Brush center of tops of pizza pies with egg wash mixture. Finish tops with a light sprinkle of coarse kosher salt.

To cook the pizza hand pies, place pies on prepared baking sheet, cut two small slits on top of each (to vent steam while baking). Bake until crusts are puffed and golden, about 30 minutes. Let set for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with warm pizza sauce for dipping alongside. ~ Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tip:
Feel free to substitute the moose sausage with cooked pork polish sausage, salami, or pepperoni, that's divine too!

SANDRA'S HAM and CARAMELIZED ONION PIZZA HAND PIES

Delectable filling includes a combination of

caramelized onion, sweet ham, mozzarella,

parmesan, parsley and a white sauce.

Yields: (8 Hand Pies)

Prep: 30 Mins. (Not including pizza dough 1-Hr/10-Mins. prep/rise time)

Bake: 30 Mins.

homemade pizza dough

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Pinch of sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 recipe of homemade pizza dough

All-purpose flour, for dusting

2-1⁄4 cups shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup finley chopped sweet, cooked ham

2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

homemade ranch dressing

3 tablespoons homemade ranch dressing, plus more for dipping when serving

1⁄2 cup shaved parmesan

-- Egg wash:

1 large egg slightly beaten

1/4 teaspoon water

-- Coarse kosher salt, sprinkle tops before baking

METHOD

If previously refrigerated, make sure pizza dough is at room temperature (takes about 1 hour).

Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, sugar, salt, and pepper, and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 30 minutes, let cool. [Can easily be prepared ahead of time.]

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Dust work surface and dough lightly with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a rectangle large enough to cut out 16 squares about 1⁄4" thick. Use a 3-1/2" square cutter, or knife, to cut dough into squares. If dough becomes hard to roll, simply let it rest 10 minutes, then continue working it.

Brush olive oil over center (not edges) of half of the square bottom sections. Dividing ingredients equally among half of the squares without over-filling - sprinkle each with half the mozzarella. Top with ham, caramelized onion, and parsley; drizzle with ranch dressing. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and the parmesan over top of each. Place top of squares over filled bottom squares, press edges to initially adhere with fingertips, then with a fork tines to completely seal.  Brush center of tops of pizza pies with egg wash mixture. Finish tops with a light sprinkle of kosher salt.

To cook the pizza hand pies, place pies on prepared baking sheet, cut two small slits on top of each (to vent steam while baking). Bake until crusts are puffed and golden, about 30 minutes. Let set for 5 minutes before serving. ~ Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~
Tip:
Feel free to substitute the ham with finely diced chicken or turkey, that's divine too!