Cherry Heart Turnover/Hand Pies

These cherry heart turnover/hand pies are delicious and unique. It’s not a dessert you see everyday, but it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day or any other special occasion.

I will admit it’s not my easiest recipe, but it is soooo worth it! Fun to make with family too!

How to Make Cherry Heart Turnover/Hand Pies:

I always start by making the dough, then the filling. First, you sift the flour and salt together and put into a bowl. Then, add the shortening (crisco) and mix the shortening with a fork into the flour until it looks like cornmeal.

And if you don’t know what cornmeal is (I didn’t), it pretty much means a coarse, but still powdery texture.

Now, add little bits of the 1/2 cup ice water until the flour/shortening mixture is starting to look like dough. Work dough into a ball and DO NOT OVER WORK IT. Flour the ball of dough and store in refrigerator till ready to use.

Now for the filling, start off with draining the cherry cans, BUT keep the cherry juice, you’ll need it.

Now, put the sugar, flour and cherry juice into a saucepan. Cook to a boil and then turn down heat and make sure it’s thick. If not thick yet you could boil it some more or add some mixed cornstarch and water to thicken it up. 

Then, add a little red food coloring and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons almond extract. The red food coloring is optional.

Last but not least add the cherries to the saucepan. I like to use this kind ↓

Assembling the Pies:

Alright, start off with dividing the dough, in half and rolling out one half of the dough, on a floured surface, into a circle shape.

Then, use the heart shaped cookie-cutters to make the hearts, each half normally makes 12 heart cut outs, so 12 pies in total. I normally have 2 cooking trays ready to go next to me to put the hearts after they’re cut. This is the size cookie-cutter heart I use ↓

After you get the first half of the doughs hearts cut, you’re gonna start filling them. I like to use a spoon and just gently scoop some of the filling onto each heart. Make sure there is about 1-2 centimeters, or even an inch, of dough visible outside the filling.

After filling the hearts, you’re gonna cut out the hearts from the other half of dough, roll it out into that circle shape again and cut your hearts. 

Gently lay the heart cut outs onto the hearts with the filling and use a fork to press the two pieces of dough together. It’s okay if they don’t look perfect, or some of the cherry filling escapes. They’ll still taste amazing, I promise. 

Then, poke some little holes with a toothpick onto the surface of your cherry pies. This allows the hot steam to escape or venting during baking.

Last but not least, mix the egg and water together and use a pastry brush to brush it on the top of all your pies, or two clean fingers ;). This just gives it that beautiful golden brown look. Cook until that golden brown color or 12-14 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack and you’re done making your cherry heart turnover/hand pies!

Happy baking!!

-Emma :)))

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Yield: 12

Cherry Heart Turnover/Hand Pie

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This recipe is delicious and unique. It's not a dessert you see everyday, but it's perfect for Valentine's Day or any other special occasion. I will admit it's not my easiest recipe, but it is soooo worth it! Fun to make with family too!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 42 minutes

Ingredients

Dough

• 2 cups all-purpose flour and some extra for rolling out dough, etc.
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 cup shortening (Crisco)
• ½ cup ice water (you don't use all of it)

Cherry Filling

• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 ½ tsp. almond extract
• ¼ tsp. red food coloring *optional*
• 2-3 cans of water-packed cherries

Egg Wash

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp. water

Instructions

Dough

1. Sift the flour and salt together and put into a bowl.
2. Add the shortening (Crisco) and mix the shortening with a fork into the flour until it looks like cornmeal.
3. Add little bits of the 1/2 cup ice water until the flour/shortening mixture is starting to look like dough.
4. Work dough into a ball and DO NOT OVER WORK IT. Flour the ball of dough and store in refrigerator till ready to use.

Filling

1. Drain the cans of cherries, BUT keep the juice, you'll need it.
2. Put the sugar, flour and cherry juice into a saucepan.
3. Cook to a boil and then turn down heat and make sure it's thick. If not thick yet you could boil it some more or add some mixed cornstarch and water to thicken it up. 
4. Add a little red food coloring and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons almond extract. The red food coloring is optional.
5. Add the drained cherries to the saucepan and make sure the filling is still thick, then turn off heat.

Assembly

1. Divide the dough in half and roll out one half of the dough, on a floured surface, into a circle shape.
2. Use the heart shaped cookie-cutters to make the hearts, each half normally makes 12 heart cut outs, so 12 pies in total.
3. Have 2 cooking trays next to you to put the hearts after they're cut, 6 on each.
4. After you get the first half of the doughs hearts cut, start filling them. Use a spoon and gently scoop some of the filling onto each heart. Make sure there is about 1-2 centimeters, or even an inch, of dough visible outside the filling.
5. Cut out the hearts from the other half of dough, roll it out into that circle shape again and cut your hearts. 
6. Gently lay the heart cut outs onto the hearts with the filling and use a fork to press the two pieces of dough together.
7. Poke some little holes with a toothpick onto the surface of your cherry pies. This allows the hot steam to escape or venting during baking.
8. Mix the egg and water together and use a pastry brush to brush it on the top of all your pies, or two clean fingers ;).
9. Cook for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown and let cool on a wire rack when done.

Notes

These ingredients can also be used to make a cherry pie, roll out the dough same way but put the first half into a pie pan and mold to edges, like any other pie. Add the cherry filling and then add the rolled out other half of the dough, you will have extra dough when you cut around the sides of the second half to ensure the fit. Poke holes onto the top in your design of choosing and cook at 425°F for 35-45 minutes. 🙂

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 hand pie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 307Total Fat: 17.7gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 103mgCarbohydrates: 34.6gFiber: 0.6gSugar: 16.8gProtein: 2.9g