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I’ve never made a meat pie. That’s just one of the many, many important things you don’t know about me. I’ve also never hunted squirrel That’s another important thing you didn’t know about me.
I’m not sure if the fact that I’ve never hunted squirrel has anything to do with my deep seated fear of making meat pies, but I suspect so.
So when I got my copy of “A Year of Pies” by Ashley English (of Small Measure blog fame) in the mail I was hoping and praying there was a meat pie recipe to get me over my fear. I also hoped the meat it called for wasn’t squirrel.
SINGING ANGELS! SINGING ANGELS! There it was on page 59 … Spiced Meat Pie.
I had found my meat pie. And I was going to make it. I had the ingredients, I had pie dough frozen in the freezer, I had it all. I even needed something to have for dinner so this was really working out more perfectly than ever I could have imagined. This was turning out to be the greatest day I had ever known.
I got myself set up and opened up the cookbook. It naturally fell open, pages spreading themselves like wings, the way cookbooks are want to do.
The book had opened in the most poetic manner. And that’s when I saw it.
Brandy and Spice Apple Hand Pies.
Which are nothing like meat pies in case you were wondering, although neither contain squirrel.
I was staring at a picture of a pie that you can pick up and eat with your hands. Your ENTIRE serving enveloped with a golden flakey crust. Not just the top and bottom like a normal pie … ALL OF THE SIDES – Top, Bottom, left side, right side, front and BACK. All filled with gooey apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and booze.
I made the pies, I loved the pies, I still haven’t made a single meat pie.
I asked Ashley if I could share her hand pie recipe and she said sure. Because she’s nice like that. If judging by some of the recipes in this book, she may also have been drunk.
What you need Your favourite pie dough recipe (Tip! Keep your pie dough chilled whenever possible. Cold dough is happy, flaky dough.) Filling 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 2 pounds apples (I used 3 Royal Gala & 2 Granny Smith); peeled, cored and slided to 1/4″ 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 1/3 cup brandy (can substitute with apple juice) 1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 cup dried currants Egg Wash 1 large egg yolk 1 Tablespoon milk Cinnamon Sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon Method Crust 1. Roll out your pie dough to a large circle. 2. Using a 4″ cookie cutter (or big tin can like I did) cut out 16 circles of dough. You’ll need to reroll scraps. 3. Place rounds on parchment paper lined cookie sheets and refrigerate. Filling 1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium low heat. Add the apples and sauté for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. 2. Stir in the lemon juice, brandy, sugar, salt and spices and cook for about 10 minutes or until the apples are limp. 3. Stir in the flour and currants; cook 2-3 minutes until the apples have absorbed the flour and the liquid has cooked off. Assembling 1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). 2. Remove baking sheets of chilled dough from fridge. 3. Mound 2-3 Tablespoons of mixture onto 8 of the dough rounds. 4. Cover with 8 remaining rounds and pinch together to seal. (can use fork tines as well) 5. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. 6. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until crusts are golden brown and you’re drooling a little bit. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving.
This … is how it looked when I made them today.
And yes. I used a fork. I’m not a complete animal. I knew enough to at least pretend I was civilized in a photo. As soon as photos were finished and I didn’t have to worry about smearing apple guts all over my camera I grabbed that Apple Hand pie with my mit and shoved it right in my pie hole.
Apple Pie
a haiku
Pie buttery crust
Flaky on my silver fork
Warm spiced fruit inside
I dare any meat pie to inspire a haiku.
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Stefanie
Yum!! You’ll love my new pie boxes I have coming- they’re perfect for these delicious pies!
SK Farm Girl
I am in love with Ashley English! Not in a creepy, perverted way! But in a mentor, hero, super-star kind of way! I have two of her books: pie book and cannning book (too lazy to get up and look at the actual titles) and they are stupendous, splendiferous and funtastick! Her instructions are clear and precise; her pictures are delish (my book has drool stains now) and the recipes are made just for us domestic divas! Kudos to Ms English and kudos to Karen, that is if Karen sends me one of those delish little pies
Lucy
I am salivating all over my keyboard and am so thankful I have two hands. The only thing better would be to have a meat pie in one and this one in the other. Yummers!
Natika33
Omigod this is terrible! They look so amazing that now I’m going to have to not only break my diet, but also learn to make pie dough. Geesh.
Bonnie
I read the recipe and thought “I have all of those ingredients!” being especially happy since I recently bought cardamom and forgot why. Then I reread and realized I do not have pie crusts.
I see a shopping trip in my future, and a weight gain to follow.
Thanks for sharing, and to Ashley as well.
magali
A meat pie haiku
Tourtière is awesome
It makes me really happy
I’m Québecer, en!
you should have a haiku contest one of these Fridays.
cred
they look delicious… and hand pies? Genius! Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before or if so, why am I just now hearing about them. People must know!
Really though, my reason for commenting is to say “Wow! Love that first photo! Rosemary & apples in the cheese box- Holy sh*t! it looks like a post card sent from some little house on a prairie.
Melissa
*unlurks*
Dear gods, that sounds (and looks!) so delicious I just had to go buy myself a copy of that book! Thank you for letting me know it existed. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go stare impatiently at my mailbox until it arrives…
marilyn
a thing of beauty and of course will make the fellas dads real pie list..
Lynne Knowlton
Ohhhhh my. I WANT it. Right now. Substitute brandy with apple juice?!! No way. That sounds like the best part
Thanks for the apple pie craving. I love you for it. My butt hates you for it.
Ann
What wonderous things
Those tasty hand pies of meat
Flaky pockets of joy
MelissaM
Um, you Canadians are pretty fancee, eating a ‘hand’ pie with a FORK!
Jessica
Thank you for this post, Karen! After reading the sample recipe above, I knew I had to have the book so I’ve just ordered a copy. Thanks again! Jessica
Claire
Hand pies are the best. The only downside is that you can’t spend the day eating one teensy-tiny super thin slice after another, then forget about it, open the fridge and discover that half of the pie is gone, and demand of your husband (in outraged tones) “What happened to the pie?!” True story.
There’s a place in San Francisco that makes savory hand pies with fillings like Basque beef & potato, Moroccan lentil, curried chickpeas… Crispy-chewy bread dough crust instead of pastry. Real good.
Patti
Yummy, yum, yum! Now I also want to know how the Spice Meat Pie turns out! Yum yum!
Carol
I cannot believe that nobody has yet asked the truly important question: Are hand pies “True Pies”?
Brenda J. M
Let me know what time the next batch goes in and I’ll be heading down the 401,DVP faster than you can say…” let’s have this with French Vanilla Ice-cream”.
Nancy Blue Moon
Do ya think I could use already made pie crust..cause I’m lazy like that..YUM..nuff said..
Karen
Nancy – No. It’ll ruin everything. Just kidding. Sure, use premade crust. Homemade *is* better, but I won’t tell if you use store bought. ~ karen!
Marie
Your pies look delicious and I look forward to trying the recipe. My Canadian relatives have given me the impression that Canadians eat nothing but meat pies! I have a recipe for Tourtière I’d be happy to share, or maybe you’d prefer the salmon pie…
Shauna
Sounds delish. But, it’s hard to say, will the Fella’s Dad consider this a true pie? It’s apple – so it has that going for it, but then there’s the brandy addition (a plus in my book) and the fact that you can hold it in your hand (another plus in my book). Curious to hear if it can be added to the true pie list.
Patricia
I was wondering if an apple hand pie would make true status as well. You need to ask your father-in-law. It does have a “roof”…
Cynna
The apple pie sounds yummy!
Speaking of squirrel, this was in today’s Food section of the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/squirrel-its-whats-for-dinner-in-romney-wva/2012/11/26/3f3abf30-328f-11e2-9cfa-e41bac906cc9_story.html
Kristin
I’ve been on a meat pie kick lately–chicken pot pie, to be exact. About once a week I roast a chicken on a bed of vegetables, and I wanted to make two meals instead of one, so I have been tinkering. If I add a few boneless, skinless thighs about halfway through roasting, they cook through at the same time, and then I can chop what vegetables and chicken we don’t eat, make gravy out of the fond and drippings (and the giblet stock I simmered meanwhile), add some frozen peas, plop the whole lot into a casserole, and top with pie dough. It makes me happy.
On another note, I recently caught a huge Opossum in my back yard–picked him up by the tail and carried him, both of us screaming the whole way, to the green waste bin, dropped him in and tied it shut, then relocated him ten miles away (he had eaten one of my hens!) and everyone keeps asking me why I didn’t roast him. Not a squirrel, but way scarier.
Another Karen
This is perfect! I’m going to a party tonight and was wondering what to take along!
White
Karen- be brave and post about meat pies and/or tourtières, and behold the spirited ‘authenticity/purist’ debate it might elicit!
FLP
Karen, Do you have a great pie crust recipe? One that doesn’t fall apart when rolled?
Karen
Hi FLP. I don’t have one crust recipe I use all the time. I wing it. I did use Ashley’s crust recipe for this and it turned out good. If the only problem you have with the crust recipe you use is the fact that it falls apart when you’re rolling it, you just need to add a bit more liquid. ~ karen!
Winegirl
Who needs meat pies when you have boozy apple hand pies? Not me! Getting married this weekend and mini apple pies WERE on the menu… this recipe sounds better! Yummmmmmm
Becca
Oh my. I’m drooling. Seriously. Drooling. I’m going to be dehydrated soon. Alas, doc says no wheat or other grains for me right now. No pastry! But I’m not going to cry. Well… I’m not going to cry much. I am going to make the filling (without the flour) and bake it like a crumble-less crumble and eat it straight out of the baking dish. As soon as I get apples.
Nathalie
Hey Karen are there any good Tourtiere recipes in her book? If not do you have one? I’ve been scouring the net for the perfect Tourtiere recipe without sucess. Thanks.
Pam'a
I can’t help but assume that the brandy didn’t hang around long enough to make it into the ingredients picture…
Karen
It did not. But some Kentucky Bourbon did, LOL. ` karen
Ruth
Never heard of hand pies, so it appears I will need to give my JA friends an introduction (sans brandy)… or not… maybe I’ll just eat the whole lot. We’ll see.
One question: I understand ‘peeled’, I understand ‘cored’…. but ‘slided’?? Ahem.
Bonnie
Here is a picture, if I can upload it, of a turkey pie I made. Easy meat pie with leftover turkey and gravy in a pie crust with some peas. /Users/bonnie/Desktop/IMG_2724.jpg
Cassie
I have been making raspberry and cherry handpies for about a year. The best part is the powdered sugar icing you brush on top. Some of us resort to dipping in it too. very sinful and very good. I used SMuckers red raspberry preserves, but my kids like apple. These would be ones they would love. I do recommend the icing, though.