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Easy Ginger Pear Hand Pies

Pear hand pie cut in half revealing the juicy pear filling.
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5 from 4 reviews

These pear hand pies take the effort out of baking a full-size pie and are jam-packed with warming, cozy flavors. These hand-held pies are made with store-bought pie crust and are filled with a homemade caramel-like pear filling that is perfectly spiced with cinnamon and ground ginger.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Pear Filling:

  • 3 heaping cups diced pears (about 3 small, firm ripe pears)
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger*
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter

Additional Ingredients:

  • 3 store-bought or homemade pie crusts
  • 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash*
  • 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar or granulated sugar, for topping

Instructions

  1. Wash and dry about 3 ripe pears. Pears should be ripe but still slightly firm. Add the chopped pears and the remaining pie filling ingredients to a small pot and stir to combine.
  2. Heat the pie filling ingredients over low to medium heat, stirring every few minutes, until they have softened and the juices begin to thicken.
  3. Take your pie crust out of the fridge and let sit at room temperature until it has softened a bit and is workable (You can roll it out with a rolling pin fairly easily).
  4. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the pear filling to cool. If you are making the filling a day in advance, transfer it to a glass storage container once cooled and store in the fridge.
  5. Roll out the prepared pie crust and use a round cookie cutter or a small bowl to create roughly 4" wide circles out of the pie crust. You should be able to get about 4-5 circles from each of the three pie crusts. Then, take the leftover scraps of pie crust and roll them into a ball to roll out with your rolling pin to use to make additional circles.
  6. After using up as much of the pie crust as you can to create several 4” circles of dough, you should have a total of 14-18 circles from the dough. Make sure you have created an even number of circles, as one is for the bottom and one is for the top of each hand pie. 
  7. Arrange half of the pie crust circles on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of pear filling into the center of half of the pie crust circles. Place the remaining pie crust circles on top of the one with the filling to form the mini pies.
  8. Use a fork to score the edges of the pie crust together. Use a small sharp knife to make a few small cuts into the top of each small pie. 
  9. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
  10. Chill the pies in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This helps the crust firm up before baking since it has been sitting out for a while when shaping the pies. 
  11. Brush the tops of the chilled pies with egg wash (or an egg wash substitute) and sprinkle with sugar. I prefer to use turbinado sugar, but white granulated sugar works just fine. 
  12. Bake the pies on the middle rack in the oven at 375°F for 25-35 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Some of the filling may ooze out slightly. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before enjoying.
  13. Store cooled hand pies at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

  • Egg Wash Substitute: To make this recipe eggless, brush the pie crust with melted butter or a little bit of milk and maple syrup. Google "egg wash swaps for pie crust" for more ideas.
  • For a stronger ginger flavor, use 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger or you can add some freshly grated ginger to the filling mixture.
  • Optional: To help prevent soggy bottoms, sprinkle a dusting of all-purpose flour over the bottom crust before adding the filling. This will help soak up extra moisture while the pies bake. You can also sprinkle finely diced nuts over the bottom crust to add a tasty crunch. 

Find it online: https://bakedabundance.com/pear-hand-pies/