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pear and cheddar hand pies on plate

Pear And Cheddar Hand Pies

Author: Sarah Jenkins
These sweet and savory hand pies make a great appetizer. Stuffed with tart pears and sharp cheddar cheese, they're perfect for your next party or holiday meal!
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Course Appetizer, Dessert, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 12 hand pies
Calories

Ingredients
  

For The Crust (you can also just use puff pastry if not making your own crust)

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 ½ sticks cold, unslated butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 egg, beaten and divided
  • ¼ cup ice water
  • ½ teaspoon cold apple cider vinegar

For The Filling

  • 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 ⅕ tablespoon white sugar
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 pears, chopped into small pieces
  • 5-6 oz chopped/crumbled sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 egg, beaten - only if using puff pastry.

Instructions
 

  • Start by making your crust. Combine the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the butter and cut it in using a pastry cutter, or a fork and knife (which is what I usually do). You can use your hands a bit at the end to break the butter up, but do it quickly since it’s best to keep the butter as cold as possible – you don’t want it to melt! Keeping small chunks of cold butter in the dough is essential if you want a flakey crust – when you bake it, the butter balls melt and create those amazing buttery, flakey pockets that make homemade pastries so delicious.
  • Mix half the egg (save the other half for later), the ice water, and the apple cider vinegar together, then add to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. 
  • Form the mixture into a ball and wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and then chill in the fridge for an hour.
  • While your dough is chilling, prepare the filling.  Sauté the onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat for one minute. Add the sugar to the onions and continue to sauté on low heat for an additional 30 minutes until they become very soft and caramelized.
  • Once the onions are done cooking, combine them with the chopped pears, cheddar, rosemary and salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Set aside.
  • Roll out the dough onto a floured surface and cut into circles (you can make these as big or as small as you like. I made mine about 6-8 inches in diameter so they’d be easy to fit in your hand, but you could also make them bite-sized for a more elegant appetizer, or if you’re feeding a larger group.
  • Spoon a small amount of the pear filling onto each of the cut pastry circles, then fold in half to create a half-moon shape.
  • Press the edge of a fork around the side of each pastry to seal them and to add a bit of a decorative edge. Use a knife to create a small slit in the top of each pastry to act as a vent.
  • Use the remaining half of the egg to brush atop each pastry. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.
  • Bake the pastries on a parchment-lined pan for 35-40 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Keyword cheddar cheese, hand pies, holiday appetizer, pears, pie crust
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!