“I love hand pies,” says Coast Packing Company corporate chef Greg Hozinsky. “They’re easy to eat and great for kids.  In this recipe we slice the apples thinly to maximize the fill inside each hand pie, giving a perfect bite of flaky pie crust and sweet spiced apples. Try this recipe and I promise you won’t be disappointed!”

To make the pie crust, start with cold ingredients.  You don’t want the fat to melt; you want to keep nice, big pieces as you build your dough.  “I even like to put my pork lard and butter in the freezer for 20-30 minutes before I start,” he says.  “On a hot day, it doesn’t hurt to even refrigerate the flour.  I like using my hands and a pastry cutter when making the dough, but you can also do this recipe with two forks or even a food processor, by pulsing the dough.”

Make sure not to overwork the dough; you want it to be flaky and tender.  The more you work it, the more gluten develops, resulting in a tough pie crust, which no one really likes.

Recipe courtesy of Coast Packing Company