Glazed Fried Cherry Hand Pies are mini pie crusts filled with a delicious homemade cherry pie filling! Then, fry them to a golden brown, and drizzle them with a sweet vanilla glaze. If cherry is not your favorite, you can totally make Fried Apple Pies as well.
A while back I made a delicious homemade cherry pie. Using fresh cherries is best for ultimate flavor. But, if you really want to make that cherry pie sing, make it in a fun transportation form like these hand pies!
How to Make These Hand Pies
For starters, you are going to need pie dough to make these. You can use store-bought if you want, but I feel like a homemade pie crust is the way to go.
You will also need cherry pie filling. You can buy a can of pie filling to fill the crusts, but I encourage you to try making your own homemade pie filling. When you make your own, you know exactly what is in the pie filling without all the added preservatives.
Then, these pies will be covered with a beautiful vanilla sweet glaze that will completely top them off!
How to Store Cherry Hand Pies
These fried cherry hand pies can be stored at room temperature. I just put them in an air-tight container and set them on the counter for a couple of days. If you are planning to freeze the cherry hand pies, I would freeze them before baking or frying them.
I like to serve mine in these cute little brown sacks I found on Amazon.
Check out these other delicious cherry dishes!
Fried Cherry Hand Pies
These delicious hand pies are perfect for transporting to picnics or get-togethers.
Ingredients
For the cherry pie filling
- 4 cups sweet red cherries, pitted (about 1½ pounds)
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For the pie crust
- 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1½ cups shortening, cubed
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- ½ cup cold water
For the glaze
- 6 cups confectioners' sugar
- 7-9 tablespoons whole milk, or more or less to reach desired consistency, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt until combined.
- Add the shortening and pulse until pea-sized crumbs form. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vinegar, and water. Pour over the dough and mix until combined (dough will be sticky).
- Pour the dough out and knead to form the dough into a disc shape and wrap securely with plastic wrap. Chill it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before rolling.
- For the cherry pie filling -- Pit all the cherries then in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add cherries. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, until the natural juices of the cherries are released and the contents are beginning to simmer (about 10-15 minutes).
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water.
Reduce heat to low and pour the cornstarch slurry, sugar, and lemon juice into the cherries. Stir to combine. - Bring the mixture back to simmer and continue cooking until the mixture has thickened.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before adding to the hand pies.
- When it is time to assemble the pies --Roll out the pie crust to ⅛ inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut the crust into 4-5-inch rounds.
- Add 1 heaping tablespoon of cherry pie filling to each round.
- Fold each mini pie crust into a half-moon shape. Use water to wet the edges to help seal each crust. Crimp with a fork.
- Once you get all the pies made, place them on a baking sheet on parchment paper and place in the fridge for 20 minutes. This will allow the pie crust to firm up before frying.
- In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add 2-3 inches of oil. Heat the oil until it reaches a temperature of 375°F.
- Place 2-3 hand pies into the pan. Fry until golden brown (3-4 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel-lined cooling rack.
- While the hand pies are still warm, coat with the glaze.
- To make the glaze, mix confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and 8 tablespoons milk in a bowl until smooth and creamy. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the glaze reaches your desired consistency. Set aside.
- While the hand pies are still warm, coat with the glaze. You can coat the pies by drizzling the glaze over each pie or dipping each pie into the bowl of glaze using a large fork. Serve warm or cold.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
26Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 322Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 79mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 1gSugar: 34gProtein: 3g