How does pastry chef and pie contest judge Sherry Yard define a hand pie? As "a mini pie that's been turned over. It should have all the trappings of a pie — a decadent filling and a gold and crispy crust," she says.
Hand pies are a new category in KCRW's Good Food PieFest & Contest. Oozing and warm, they are, perhaps, a more personal experience than consuming a slice of a larger pie. The ideal size depends on the eater and they're deceptive as they end up smaller than you might expect after you've filled and folded the dough. The perfect ratio of crust to filling is crucial.
Yard grew up in Brooklyn, which is why she says she likes everything in triangles, including her hand pies: "I like something with a point on it because at least then you have different experiences with it."
Pro tip: At the height of the season, Yard takes her fruit and turns it into various pie fillings that she freezes on sheet trays. Whether or not to use thickeners depends on the kind of fruit. Yard refers to herself as a "combination gal" who uses flour and cornstarch or sometimes just butter. Thickeners aren't as crucial in hand pies because of their smaller internal area.
She suggests using a fork to pinch the sides of hand pies together, creating a half-inch border. Then, she likes to brush a light egg wash over the top. Venting a hand pie is just as important as a whole pie. You want to created "just a whisper of a hole," Yard says.
Hand pies can come in all sorts of shapes — round, triangle, oval, heart. Photo via Shutterstock.