These adorable cherry heart shaped hand pies make the perfect gift for Valentine's Day. These homemade heart hand pies are so tasty and completely from scratch. They're the perfect way to say "I love you"!
I love giving food as gifts whenever I can. This year, I plan on giving out a ton of these beautiful, delicious cherry heart pies to friends and family for Valentine's Day.
Heart Hand Pies
This was inspired by my other hand pie recipe on this site, and pairs well with this easy dalgona cloud coffee recipe.
Ingredients
It only takes a few ingredients to make these delicious hand pies. The best part is that you probably have most if not all of the ingredients in your kitchen already.
- All Purpose Flour
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter
- Cold Water
- Egg Whites
- Granulated Sugar
- Red Food Coloring
- Cherry Pie Filling
See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities.
Instructions
This recipe uses a homemade pie dough, so there are a few steps to this recipe. Don't be scared off, though. It's actually very simple to make when you break it down.
Step 1: Make the Dough
Cut the cold butter into small chunks. Then, mix the flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Finally, cut the butter into the flour until it forms small, pea-sized pieces. Finish with your hands, breaking up the pieces further until thit resembles bread crumbs.
Gradually add about half of the water, mixing well as you go. Continue to add water to the dough spoon by spoon until a workable dough is created.
Step 2: Prep the Dough for Making the Crust
Once the dough has come together, roll it out into a roughly even log and cut it into four sections. Then, roll each section into a ball and place it in a resealable bag. Place the bag in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes so the dough can cool.
Step 3: Make the Heart Shaped Crust Decorations
Place one of your chilled dough balls on a flour surface and roll it out to about ⅛" thickness. Then, use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out heart shapes. You can also use a sharp knife to cut out rough heart shapes about ½" in size to make the heart shaped decorations for the hand pies.
Mix one of the egg whites with 1 tablespoon of sugar and red food coloring in a small bowl. In another bowl mix the remaining egg hites with 3 tablespoons of sugar.
Now, use a small pastry brush to brush the red colored egg white mixture all over the hear shaped crusts. Set them aside to dry.
Step 4: Construct the Hand Pies
Use a heart shaped pie press as you would a cookie cutter and cut out two large heart shapes. Place a heart shape on each side of the pie press and brush both with the plain egg white mix.
Next, add about a tablespoon of cherry pie filling to the center of one heart, being careful to stay away from the edges. Finally, close the pie press together firmly, pressing tightly around the edges to seal the hand pie.
Repeat until all dough is used to make hand pies.
Step 5: Finish the Hand Pies
Brush the cherry pies with clear egg wash and place a red heart on each one. Sprinkle the pies generously with sugar and bake for 28 - 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove the pies and allow them to cool. Then, serve or package as gifts.
Hint: Always use firm pressure when sealing your pies to ensure that they stay together.
Substitutions
Don't have the correct ingredients on hand or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change these heart hand pies.
- Pie Filling - You can use blueberry or strawberry pie filling in this recipe. Both have a flavor and colorful suitable for the holiday.
- Ready Made Pie Crusts - Save time by using ready made pie crusts.
Variations
Want to personalize this heart shaped hand pies recipe? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this recipe.
- Make the Whole Thing Red - Use red egg wash on the hand pie to make it completely red.
- Gluten-Free - Use almond flour to make these gluten-free.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy these cherry cheesecake cookies.
Equipment
It only takes a few items to make these pies. You'll find the specialty items for this recipe easily online.
- Rolling pin
- Baking sheet
- Heart Shaped Dumpling Maker
- Bakery Boxes with Windows
- Homemade with Love Stickers
Storage
These pies will keep at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 10 days.
Tips
I have a few tips here that will help you make the best little pies possible. They're easy tips so be sure to give them a read.
- Use the coldest butter possible to get the best granular texture when cutting it into the flour.
- Always add your water slowly so you don't put too much into your dough mix.
- Always err for less filling over more. You don't want it to ooze out of the crust!
More Pie Recipes
Do you like pies? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
FAQ
Do you have questions about heart shaped hand pies? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about heart hand pies.
They'll keep at room temperature for about 10 days.
It's up to you! They're great warm, col or at room temperature.
You can use a heart shaped cookie cutter. Then, use a fork to flute the edges of the pies.
This will happen if you don't let the little hearts dry completely.
You didn't roll out the dough thinly enough. Less surface area means fewer pies.
Absolutely. Just wrap it very well so no air gets in.
You sure can. Buy the flaky variety and be sure to buy enough to make your desired number of pies.
Heart Shaped Hand Pies
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Heart Shaped Hand Pies
Equipment
- Homemade with Love Stickers
- Bakery Boxes with Windows
- Heart Shaped Dumpling Maker or Pie Press
Ingredients
- 4 cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 ½ cups Unsalted Butter cold
- ¾ cup Cold Water
- 3 large Egg Whites
- 4 tablespoons Granulated Sugar + extra for sprinkling
- 1 teaspoon Red Food Coloring
- 1 can Cherry Pie Filling
Instructions
- Get out and measure your ingredients.
- Cut the butter into small blocks.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour and salt and mix together.
- Add the butter and cut into the flour mixture. Keep cutting it in until you have small pea size pieces. You can also use your fingers to work through the mixture, rubbing away at the pieces until it almost resembles breadcrumbs.
- Gradually add about half of the water, mixing well. Then spoon by spoon add more until you have a workable dough. Due to people’s humidity this can vary so an exact number is hard to give.
- Once the dough has come together you can roll into a ball.
- Work it out into an even log (ish) and cut into four sections.
- Roll into a ball and place into a plastic bag. Place in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to cool down.
- Then take one of the balls of dough and place onto a floured work surface. Roll out until it’s about ⅛” thick.
- With a small knife carefully cut out some heart shapes that are about ½” big and place onto a plate. If you have a small heart shaped cookie cutter, even better, use that.
- In a small bowl mix one of the egg whites with 1 Tablespoon of sugar and the red food color, mix well.
- In another small bowl mix the remaining egg whites with 3 tablespoons of sugar.
- Using a small pastry brush brush this red colored egg white all over the hearts on the plate. Set aside and allow to dry so red color doesn't bleed into the rest of the pie dough around it.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Using a Heart Shaped Dumpling Maker or pie press, use it like you would a cookie cutter and cut out two hearts.
- Take one of those hearts and place it on one side of the pie press. Press down on the edges so that it stays in place while you are putting the cherry pie together. Take the other heart and do the same on the other side of the pie press.
- Brush both sides with the egg white mix, without the red food coloring.
- Add about 1 tablespoon of the cherry pie filling to one side, be sure to stay away from the edges of the pie.
- Close the pie press together and press tightly, all around the outside.
- Open up the pie press and empty the pie out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat the above steps for the remaining dough that’s left. Brush the cherry pies with the clear egg wash.
- Then affix a red heart to each one.
- Liberally sprinkle with sugar and bake for 28-30 minutes or golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack before biting into them, if you’re going to.
- Serve.
- Enjoy every bite! Heart Shaped Dumpling Maker
- Place inside Bakery Boxes with Windows, if doing.
- Close and add sticker to top! There are a lot of variations of these boxes/stickers, pick your favorite!
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