Recipe: Apple Hand Pies with Apricot Preserves and Flaky Cream Cheese Pastry

APPLE HAND PIES WITH APRICOT PRESERVES

"Apple hand pies, also known as turnovers, are a pleasant departure from traditional apple pie. They're more delicate, especially these, with their soft, flaky cream cheese pastry - and there's a higher proportion of crust to filling.

Be aware that the cream cheese makes this a fairly soft dough. If it becomes a little too soft while you're working it, simply slide the dough, waxed paper and all, onto a small baking sheet and refrigerate it for a few minutes befor continuing."

1 recipe Flaky Cream Chees Pastry (recipe follows) (divided as instructed in step 1 and refrigerated)
FOR THE FILLING:
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 apples, peeled
About 3 tablespoons apricot preserves
FOR THE GLAZE AND DUSTING:
Milk or light cream
Granulated sugar

When you prepare the pastry, divide it into 4 equal-size balls. Flatten the balls into 1/2-inch-thick disks and wrap the disks in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, but not overly so, or it will be difficult to roll.

TO ASSEMBLE THE FILLING:
Mix the granulated sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside. Halve the apples lengthwise and core them. Place each half on a cutting board, flat side down, and cut straight through, making even 1/8-inch-thick slices. Set aside.

TO MAKE THE HAND PIES:
Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll into an 8-inch circle on a sheet of lightly floured waxed paper with a floured rolling pin. Dot with about 2 teaspoons of the preserves, spreading it around the center of the circle. Sprinkle lightly with some of the sugar mixture. Arrange a single row of apple slices over one half of the dough. Leave a good 3/4-inch border around the slices, following the curve of the pastry. Sprinkle a little more of the sugar mixture over the apples.

Moisten the edge of the pastry with a finger, then fold the empty half over the apples. Fold up the border and pinch the edges together, rolling them between your fingers in a sort of rope edge. Place the turnover on a large, lightly buttered baking sheet. Refrigerate while you make the remaining hand pies, putting each on the sheet as it is assembled.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the sheet from the refrigerator and brush each hand pie with a little milk. Sprinkle with granulated sugar, then poke the surface 2 or 3 times with a fork to make steam vents.

Place on the center oven rack and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for 20 minutes longer, until golden brown. You may see steam coming from the vents.

Transfer the pies to a cooling rack and let cool slightly. While they are still warm, dust them with a little confectioners' sugar, if you like. These are best eaten warm.

Makes 4 hand pies

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FLAKY CREAM CHEESE PASTRY

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Put the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a large stand-up mixer fitted with the flat beater attachment. Blend for 30 to 45 seconds on medium-low speed

Sift the flours and confectioners' sugar into a medium-size mixing bowl. With the mixer on low, add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture about 1/2 cup at a time, blending reasonably well after each addition. You don't have to wait until the previous addition has been entirely incorporated before adding the next, but do give it some time.

When all of the dry ingredients have been added and the dough starts to ball up around the beater, stop the machine. Remove the bowl and scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough gently 3 or 4 times, then shape into a ball. Place the ball on a lightly floured sheet of plastic wrap and flatten it into a disk about 3/4-inch thick (unless the recipe instructs you to shape the dough into 2 balls for a double-crust pie). Wrap the disk in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 1/2 hours, until firm enough to roll.

To mix by hand: Using a wooden spoon, cream the butter and cream cheese together in a medium-size mixing bowl. Sift the dry ingredients together, as instructed above, then add them to the creamed mixture about 1/3 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough coheres, proceed as directed above.

Makes enough pastry for one 9-inch deep-dish pie shell or one 9-inch thin-crusted double-crust pie

Source: Apple Pie Perfect by Ken Haedrich