I was excited to find out that the cherries falling over our fence from the neighbor’s tree are sour cherries. Sour cherries {otherwise known as pie cherries and tart cherries} are hard to come by. They are more fragile than Bing, Rainer and other sweeter varieties of cherries and therefore they don’t have a long shelf-life. You won’t likely find them in super markets but if you’re lucky, you know someone with a pie cherry tree or you can find them at a farmer’s market. As the name implies, these cherries are sour and not great for eating as you would other cherries but they are wonderful for baking. If you can’t find sour cherries you can use a sweeter cherry and reduce the amount of sugar in the filling.
Hand pies {also known as pocket pies} are individual servings of pie that transport well for picnics and lunchboxes. They were the perfect choice for me because I only had one cup of sour cherries to work with. I used half of the dough to make four 5-inch pies and two 4-inch pies and I’m saving the rest of the dough for later. The pastry dough from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen is a basic pâte brisée that’s easy to work with and has a buttery flavor and flaky texture.
Sour Cherry Hand Pies
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 6 hand pies 1x
Description
These sour cherry hand pies are perfect for picnics and lunchboxes, featuring a buttery pâte brisée crust and a tart cherry filling.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (248.4g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (5g) salt
- 2 tbsp (24g) sugar
- 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 6-8 tbsp (88-118mL) ice water
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- 1 cup sour cherries, pitted
- 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar (adjust if using sweeter cherries)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Pastry Dough {Recipe Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma Kitchen}
- Beat the flour, salt and 2 tbsp (24g) sugar.
- Add the diced cold butter cubes, beating for 30 seconds on low.
- Then beat for 1 1/2 minutes longer at a medium-low speed.
- Add 6 tbsp (88mL) cold water and beat for 20 seconds on low.
- If the dough is still crumbly, add more water, 1 tsp (5mL) at a time.
- Divide the dough in half and cover each ball with plastic wrap.
- Let it chill in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
Sour Cherry Filling
- In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, dissolve the flour in the water.
- Add the pitted cherry halves and let them cook, adding more flour or water if needed as the cherries cook down.
- Stir in the sugar to taste.
- Cook the cherries for 10 minutes or until they make a chunky purée.
- Remove them from the heat and let them cool.
Assembling the Hand Pies
- Working with one half of the chilled dough at a time, roll the dough out until it is roughly 1/4-inch (0.6cm) thick.
- Using a biscuit cutter or a glass, cut out 5-inch (12,7cm) circles.
- Place the circles on a lightly greased baking sheet.
- Spoon 1-2 tbsp fruit filling on one half of the circle.
- Brush water around the edges with your finger.
- Fold the empty portion of dough over the filling to make a semi-circle.
- Press the edges together and crimp them with a fork.
- Make a slit with the knife on the top crust to allow the steam to vent as they cook.
- Repeat the process.
- Beat one egg with 1 tsp (5mL) water and brush the egg on the top crust of the pies.
- Sprinkle the pies with granulated sugar if desired.
- Bake them at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until the pie crust is light golden brown and the fruit filling is beginning to bubble out the slit.
- Let the pies cool and serve them with vanilla ice cream or almond whipped cream.
Notes
- If sour cherries are unavailable, substitute with sweeter cherries and reduce the sugar in the filling.
- The dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
- These hand pies are best enjoyed fresh but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 hand pie
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 14
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 3
- Cholesterol: 40
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are sour cherries, and where can I find them?
The article explains that sour cherries (also called pie cherries or tart cherries) are smaller and more fragile than Bing or Rainier cherries, and are sour enough that they are not good for eating fresh but excellent for baking. They have a short shelf life and are rarely found in supermarkets — you are most likely to source them at a farmer’s market or from a neighbor’s tree. If unavailable, the recipe says to use sweeter cherries and reduce the amount of sugar in the filling.
Can I make the pastry dough ahead of time?
Yes — the recipe says to let the dough chill in the refrigerator for “several hours or overnight” before rolling, and the notes confirm it can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days. The recipe also divides the dough in half and notes the author saved the second half for a later use.
Why do the pies need a slit cut in the top crust?
The instructions specify making a slit in the top crust of each hand pie before baking at 400°F. Steam builds up inside the pastry as the cherry filling heats and bubbles — without the vent, the crust can puff and crack unpredictably. You know they are done when the crust is light golden brown and the filling starts to bubble out through the slit, at about 15–20 minutes.
Is the “Print” link broken? I’d love to try this!
Hey Lucille,
Yes, unfortunately – the Print link doesn’t work at the moment. We’re waiting for the good people who developed the recipe plugin to update it so it works. Sorry for the trouble!