Apple Hand Pies

“Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness.” 

 ― Jane Austen

September makes me think fall...even though last week's weather wasn't saying it. Once the calendar says September, I'm ready to start making and eating all the wonderful fall foods. I've been wanting to make an apple pie for over a week so apple pie was what was on the menu for dessert last night. Instead of the traditional apple pie, I decided to make hand pies.  

Ingredients:
5 granny smith apples
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoon butter
2 15-oz package of pie crust or 2 recipe of double crust pastry

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Peel, core, and slice apples. Cut the slices in half. In a large bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add apple slices and stir together.
2. Cut eight 7-inch circles out of the pie crust. Put a spoonful of apples on top of the dough circle. Place 1/4 tablespoon butter on top of the fruit. Brush egg on the outside edge of the circle and fold over. Crimp the edges of the dough closed. Brush more egg on the top of the pie and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if desired. Repeat with the other seven circles.
3. Place pies on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Notes:

I only had one package of pie crust so I made four hand pies. Instead of halving the fruit mixture, I took the excess pieces of dough and rolled them together to form a bottom crust and poured the rest of the fruit into a pie dish. 

I used this Nordic Ware Pocket Pie Maker to form the pies. It makes the cutting, folding, and crimping go much easier. 

What fall food are you looking forward to making?