Post update: I used these Mason Jar lids (affiliate link) to cut the pastry dough. They also work great as mini tart pans as seen in this How to Make Mini Fruit Pie With Mason Jar Lids video!

It’s Secret Recipe Club Reveal Day – each month, we members get assigned a fellow food blogger and are charged to make one of his/her recipes. In turn, someone is assigned to each one of us and we all reveal on the same day our mystery bloggers along with some mouthwatering recipes (as seen in thumbnails below.)

Cherry Hand Pies - fun to make and built-in portion control! @tspbasil
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This month, I had Jess @ Life’s Simple Measures. Once I started stalking exploring her blog, I couldn’t stop.

It was such fun to learn more about her – she got engaged this year to her long time college boyfriend (wedding in September 2014) and just moved to Chicago from Omaha a week or so ago (I believe the day of this reveal is her first day at her new job – good luck, Jess!)

And man, can this gal cook. I wanted to make her Blueberry Pie Bars and Mama’s Challah Bread and Brazilian Cheese Puffs and so many more. Plus, you must check out the gorgeous cupcakes she made for a wedding reception recently.

In the end, Jess’s Cherry Hand Pies won out because a) cherries are my absolute favorite fruit and b) they are in season now (albeit a way way WAY too short season.) (I came close to making these Soft Pretzel Bites for my post, being a Philly gal who loves her pretzels. But those will be for another day…)

I made some tweaks to the pies, including adding in some lemon zest and almond extract to the cherries.

I also used some white whole wheat flour and butter with coconut oil in place of the shortening. And I opted for a turbinado sugar topping in place of the simple icing.

Turns out Mason jar lids make excellent mini pie cutters (especially for tattooed 6-year-olds to handle.)

Cherry Hand Pies – Secret Recipe Club

• Author: by Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD
• Yield: about 16 hand pies.

Description

Celebrate the summer cherry harvest with these perfectly portioned cherry hand pies. Or swap in your favorite summer time fruit.

Ingredients

For cherry filling:

• 2 pounds (4 cups) cherries, pitted and quartered
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• Zest of half of lemon
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

For the dough:

• 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup white whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup nonfat milk
• Cooking spray
• Turbinado sugar

Instructions

1. For the filling, in a small bowl, mix cherries, sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, lemon zest, almond extract and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. For the dough, in a large bowl, mix together flours, baking powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

   With pastry knife or your hands, mix in coconut oil and butter until dough becomes crumbly.

4. Slowly mix in milk until dough starts to come together.
5. On a floured surface, roll dough until it becomes a smooth dough ball. With rolling pin, roll out into 1/3-inch thickness. Cut into 3-inch round circles and then roll each circle into about 5-inch circle (dough will be thin.)
6. Place each circle on parchment paper on a cooking sheet. Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons of cherry filling onto each circle.

   Fold over and seal edges. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

7. Bake for about 25 minutes or until dough becomes slightly golden brown. Cool slightly and serve.

Notes

Adapted from Jess @ Life’s Simple Measures recipe for Cherry Hand Pies

Did you make this recipe?

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The dietitian in me loves the built in “portion control” of hand pies and the foodie in me loves the versatility of being able to swap in whatever fresh fruit you’d like! You could also experiment with different fruit & herb/spice combos like peach & thyme, strawberry & basil, lemon & ginger, plum & lavender – endless possibilities.

Do you ever make mini or hand pies?

What’s your favorite summer pie?