Apple Gouda Hand Pies
Miniature hand pies filled with apples, spices, and gouda cheese. A Surprisingly delicious combination!
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Let’s talk about these tasty little apple Gouda hand pies!
A few years ago I was sitting in a class at culinary school, though I don’t remember which class and I don’t remember what we were discussing. But somebody at some point said three words together in passing that have been residing in my brain ever since— apples, Gouda cheese, and puff pastry.
I finally got around to trying that combination last year and served them as part of my Project Food Blog dinner party [2]. They were a huge hit and I’m kicking myself for waiting a whole year to make them again and share them with you.
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This time I used some leftover pie crust dough I had in the freezer, and I actually preferred it over the puff pastry, though both ways are great. Other cheeses like cheddar would be great too, they are quite adaptable. And if the idea of cheese along with your apple pie is off-putting, consider trying them anyway. The cheese adds a mysterious creaminess and wonderful richness of flavor without being overbearing.
These little pies are perfect for popping, and their small size makes them almost impossible to resist. So consider yourself warned, they won’t last long.
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Apple Gouda Hand Pies
Ingredients:
Pie Crust:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into one inch pieces
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
Filling:
- 2 small to medium sized apples (I used Jonagold), peeled, cored, and cut into small pieces
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup Gouda cheese, cut into small pieces
- 1 single pie crust (recipe below)
- 1 egg, for egg wash
Directions:
To make the crust:
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and toss to coat the butter. Dump entire contents of the bowl out onto a well-floured surface. With a well-floured rolling pin, roll the mixture together, flattening the butter into the flour. Use a bench scraper to bring the mixture back together again as needed. When the butter is in long sheets and evenly distributed through the flour, return the mixture to the bowl and create a well in the center.
- Add the buttermilk into the well and use your fingers or a wooden spoon to combine. Add a more buttermilk a tablespoon at a time, if necessary, but the mixture should be a little on the dry side. Dump the contents back onto your floured surface and form into two equally sized disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for one hour or overnight.
To make the hand pies:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the sliced apples and melted butter and toss to coat.
- Roll the pie crust out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Use a three or four inch round cutter to cut the pie crust into rounds. Spoon approximately a tablespoon (or whatever will fit) of the apple mixture onto each round. Top with a piece or two of Gouda. Brush edges with egg wash. Fold half of the pie crust round over on itself and pinch to seal. Use the tines of a fork to crimp edges together.
- Place on prepared parchment paper and brush with more egg wash. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
Have you tried this recipe?
I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below, send me an email [8], or take a photo and tag it on instagram [9] with #completelydelicious [10].
URLs in this post:
[1] Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/annalisefarmer/6304772130/
[2] Project Food Blog dinner party: http://www.completelydelicious.com/2010/10/project-food-blog-challenge-3-how-to.html
[3] Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/annalisefarmer/6304245707/
[4] Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/annalisefarmer/6304245775/
[5] Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/annalisefarmer/6304771784/
[6] Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/annalisefarmer/6304246053/
[7] Print Recipe: https://www.completelydelicious.com/apple-gouda-hand-pies-2/print/
[8] send me an email: https://www.completelydelicious.com/contact
[9] instagram: http://instagram.com/completelydelicious
[10] #completelydelicious: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/completelydelicious/