Apple hand pies are everything you love about fall in one tiny, edible package. Flaky, tender pie crust with spiced apple pie filling will just make your day!
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar.
Cut shortening into flour mixture using pastry blender or two knives.
Stir in just enough water with a fork until dough holds together.
TIP: Test dough for proper moistness by squeezing a marble-sized ball of dough in your hand. If it holds together firmly, do not add any additional water. If the dough crumbles, add more water by the tablespoonful, until dough is moist enough to form a smooth ball when pressed together.
Shape dough into a ball and flatten into a round disk. For ease in rolling, wrap dough in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
Once dough is chilled and you’re ready to assemble the pies, preheat oven to 400°F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and prepare the filling.
For the Filling
In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the sugars, apple pie spice and flour.
Assemble the Pies
Remove dough from refrigerator and remove from the plastic wrap.
On a generously-floured work surface, roll the dough until it is about 1/8-inch thick.
Use a 5 inch round cookie cutter to cut the dough into circles. Reroll dough as needed in order to create 8-10 circles.
Add one heaping tablespoon of filling to the center of each dough circle, leaving as much liquid behind as possible.
Fold the dough circle in half and use your fingers or a fork to seal and crimp the edges.
Place hand pies on prepared baking sheet.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water.
Use the tip of a sharp knife to cut 2 small slits into the tops of each pie.
Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the tops of the hand pies with the egg wash. If desired, top with sparkling sugar.
Bake in preheated for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Depending on the size of your apples, you may have some apple filling leftover. Grab a sheet of puff pastry and use the filling to make a small batch of apple turnovers! Make sure you know how to measure flour correctly before you start making your pie crust.