Cinnamon Almond Hand Pies
Our Cinnamon Almond Hand Pies are an easy to make dessert. A hand pie is any single serving filled pastry you just pick up and eat, like a Cornish Pasty, but dessert versions are just as popular. They can be made with just about any sweet filling. Our version has a simple Cinnamon Almond filling with a cinnamon glaze. We use Vietnamese Saigon Cinnamon because it has the most flavor of the cinnamons.
Makes 12
Ingredients:
3 Cups All Purpose Flour, plus Extra
1 Teaspoon Kosher Flake Salt
1 Cup (2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
¼ Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Large Egg, Lightly Beaten, plus 1 Egg Yolk, Lightly Beaten
¼ Cup Whole Milk
½ Cup Sliced Almonds
1 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar
¼ Cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon plus ¼ Teaspoon Vietnamese Saigon Cinnamon
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour and salt. Whisk to combine. In another large bowl, add the butter and granulated sugar. Beat with an electric hand mixer about 4 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides to make sure it all combines well.
Add half of the flour mixture. Beat to combine. Add the remaining flour mixture and milk and beat again to combine. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured large cutting board or other work surface. Gently knead to combine. Transfer one half of the dough onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Roll out into a 9″ x 12″ rectangle. Roll out the remaining dough on a second piece of parchment. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until firm.
Add the almonds to a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add ¾ cup of the powdered sugar, the brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon, and 5 teaspoons water. Pulse until well combined.
Remove 1 sheet of dough from the refrigerator. Cut into 12 2″ x 4 ½” rectangles. Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of the almond mixture onto 6 of the dough pieces. Leave a ½” around the edges. Brush the edges with the beaten egg yolk. Place the remaining dough pieces on top, and crimp the edges firmly with a fork to keep the filling from spilling out when baking. Remove the second sheet of dough and repeat this process. Brush the tops with the remaining yolk.
Transfer the pies onto rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes until the firm.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF, placing the racks at the ⅓ and ⅔ positions. Bake about 18 to 20 minutes until the edges turn golden brown. Rotate the baking sheets after 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the baking sheets on wire racks to let the hand pies cool completely.
While they are cooling make the glaze. In a small mixing bowl, add the remaining ¾ cup of powdered sugar, the remaining ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and 4 teaspoons of water. Whisk to combine. The consistency should be spreadable. If too thick, add another teaspoon of water. Spoon and spread the glaze evenly on the pastries. Let set 5 or so minutes to let the glaze harden a bit, then enjoy.