Recipes Desserts Pies Dried Apple Hand Pies 4.0 (2) 4 Reviews As the dried apple slices rehydrate and cook in each delicate hand pie, they transform into a saucy, concentrated filling. To create a smoother, rather than chunky, apple filling, smash apples with the side of a spoon while stirring. By Lisa Donovan Lisa Donovan Instagram Twitter Website Lisa Donovan is a James Beard Award-winning writer and chef who has redefined what it means to be a Southern baker as the pastry chef to some of the South's most influential chefs.Expertise: baking, pastry, foodways, social justice.Experience: Lisa Donovan has been formative in developing, writing, and establishing a technique-driven, historically rich narrative of traditional Southern pastry in restaurants across the country and in print. She is a regular contributor to Food & Wine and has been a featured speaker at René Redzepi's globally renowned MAD Symposium, discussing the culture and responsibilities of restaurants. Lisa centers her work on advocacy and education. Her recipes and writing have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Eater, Literary Hub, and Saveur. She is the author of Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger, which earned her a Les Dames d'Escoffier International M.F.K. Fisher Prize in 2021. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 7, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Victor Protasio Active Time: 15 mins Total Time: 6 hrs Yield: 10 Ingredients 4 cups unsweetened apple cider 3 cups dried apple slices 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns 1/8 teaspoon green cardamom seeds 2 whole cloves 3 tablespoons light brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest plus 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 vanilla bean pod Lisa Donovan’s Pie Dough All-purpose flour, for work surface 1 large egg, beaten 1 1/4 teaspoons granulated sugar Directions Stir together cider and apple slices in a medium-size oven-safe saucepan. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Meanwhile, toast peppercorns, cardamom seeds, and cloves in a small skillet over medium, stirring often, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool. Transfer mixture to a spice grinder; process until finely ground, about 15 seconds. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400°F. Uncover saucepan, and bring apple mixture to a boil over medium. Boil, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is mostly absorbed, about 40 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in ground spices, brown sugar, lemon zest and juice, and salt. Split vanilla bean pod lengthwise; scrape seeds into mixture. Transfer saucepan to preheated oven. Bake, uncovered, until apples begin to break down, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven; transfer mixture to a heatproof bowl. Let cool 30 minutes. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; chill at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. Unwrap pie dough disks, and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Roll dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut 10 (6-inch) dough rounds, rerolling scraps as needed. Arrange dough rounds evenly on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Working with 1 dough round at a time, brush dough edges lightly with some of the beaten egg. Spoon about 1/4 cup chilled apple filling onto center of dough round. Fold dough up and over filling; press lightly to seal edges. Repeat process using remaining dough rounds and filling. Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush tops of pies lightly with remaining beaten egg; sprinkle evenly with granulated sugar (about 1/8 teaspoon each). Cut 3 small (about 1/3-inch-long) vents in top of each pie. Chill pies, uncovered, until dough is hardened, at least 20 minutes or up to 2 hours. Bake pies in preheated oven until golden brown, 28 to 32 minutes. Serve pies warm, or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Victor Protasio Notes TO FREEZE: Follow recipe as directed through Step 4. Cut 3 small (1/3-inch-long) vents in top of each pie. Freeze pies on baking sheet, uncovered, 1 hour. Transfer pies to a large ziplock plastic bag; freeze up to 1 month. TO BAKE FROM FROZEN: Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange frozen pies at least 2 inches apart on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Brush lightly with 1 beaten egg; sprinkle evenly with 1 1/4 teaspoons granulated sugar. Proceed with Step 6 as directed. Rate it Print