Go Back
functional image mini cherry hand pie stars drizzled with cherry juice three bing cherries with stems black cherries red pattern dish towel
Heather Wolf

Star-Shaped Cherry Hand Pies

All the goodness of cherry pie in a single-bite treat, these star-shaped cherry hand pies are the perfect grab-and-go snack. Made with a flaky, from-scratch pie crust and a juicy cherry filling these tiny pies are as delicious as they are adorable.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chill 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours
Servings: 10 3-inch pies
Course: Pies and Tarts
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Pie crust
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour unbleached
  • 1 tsp sea salt fine
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter very cold and cut into pats
  • 1/2 cup ice cold water *may require less, see instructions below
Cherry filling
  • 2 cups fresh cherries stemmed and pitted
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/8 tsp sea salt fine
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice fresh
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp water room temperature
Topping
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 1 Tbsp heavy cream
  • Turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Method
 

Pie Crust
  1. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl.
  2. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs.
  3. Add ice cold water, one tablespoon at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until mixture forms clumps. *Note: you may not need the entire 1/2 cup called for in the recipe.
  4. Transfer dough to a floured surfaced. Using your hands, divide dough in half.
  5. Flatten each dough half into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Cherry Filling
  1. Combine cherries, sugar, salt and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves.
  3. Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl until combined then add to cherry filling.
  4. Increase heat to medium-high and stir constantly until mixture thickens, about 7 minutes.
  5. Remove saucepan from heat and transfer cherry filling to a glass bowl.
  6. Cool to room temperature before assembling pies.
Assembly
  1. Remove one disk of chilled dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured surface until it is 1/8 of an inch thick.
  2. Cut dough with a star-shaped cookie cutter. Re-roll any dough scraps and cut into stars.
  3. Refrigerate star-shaped cutouts.
  4. Remove 2nd dough disk from the refrigerator. Repeat the roll-and-cut process then refrigerate star-shaped cutouts for 15 minutes.
  5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
  6. Place half of the star cutouts on baking sheet evenly spaced apart. Using a sharp knife, cut four tiny slits into the middle of each of the remaining stars to vent steam.
  7. Add one tablespoon of cherry filling to the center of each star on baking sheet. Cover each with a vented star cutout and crimp edges closed with a fork.
  8. Beat egg and heavy cream in a bowl with a fork. Brush the tops of each star pie with this egg wash mixture.
  9. If desired, sprinkle each pie with turbinado sugar then bake for 15 minutes or until pies are golden brown.
  10. Remove from oven and cool for on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool a few more minutes.
  11. Serve warm or at room temperature.
  12. Cherry Hand Pies taste best the day they are made but can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.