Recipes with Spirits: Boozy Spiced Apple Hand Pies

Our bartender Liz is back for our “recipes with spirits” series, to share another one of her favorite recipes. This time, she’s using the flakey magic pie crust to make some good old fashioned hand pies. Her take on a classic apple pie uses cardamom, allspice, and ginger in lieu of cinnamon to bring out the notes of lavender, lemon balm, rose, and chamomile that can be found in The Block’s Spring Gin.

Sometimes called turnovers, hand pies have been for quite some time tracing their origins back to 13th century England and were part of the working person’s diet. Typically filled with savory ingredients, the hand pie takes on different forms around the world as pasties in England, samosas in Indian, empanadas in Spain, patties in Jamaica, spanakopita in Greece, xian bing in China, and meat pies in Australia and New Zealand.

Note: Depending on your preference, you can add as little and as much gin as you prefer. Since the mixture is heated, it will cook off most of the alcohol but some will remain. 

Boozy Spiced Apple Hand Pies

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ lime, juiced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
2 tablespoon The Block’s Spring Gin
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ ground ginger
Pinch of salt
1 egg, whisked
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (optional)

In a saute pan over medium heat, add apples and butter and cook for 2-3 minutes. Once the butter melts, add in sugar and gin.  Let the mixture cook down on a low simmer for 5 minutes. Add spices and salt. In a separate bowl, combine lime juice with cornstarch and blend. Reduce heat to low and incorporate cornstarch mixture into the apples. Add vanilla and stir. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Remove pie dough from the fridge and allow to soften on the counter for 5-10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Using a floured surface, roll out dough until it forms a ¼ inch thickness. Using a cereal bowl as a stencil, cut rounds with the dough. In the center of the round, add 1-2 tablespoons of chilled apple filling. Using warm water, trace the edge of the circle to moisten. Fold in half and crimp with a fork. Add 3-4 slits at top to allow steam to escape. Place on a silicone baking mat or parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine egg and water, then brush hand pies with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar, if using. Allow to chill for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the fridge and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely then serve.

Makes 4-6 hand pies