The apple of my pie

LOCAL DISH | SHELLEY HANDLER

Let me begin by saying I do not bake. There is a line drawn in a professional kitchen that divides sweet from savory and I have spent my 50-plus years slinging savory dishes.

Even so, my preferences in the sweets realm are sharply defined, and my annual birthday choice is always pie over cake. I have yet to master pie dough, but my work around is an easy one, found in the freezer section of most decent grocery stores. Puff pastry, my friend and ally, is great for a quick pie fix. And since I’m both impatient and don’t want a whole tarte tatin hanging around my kitchen, I opt for these ridiculously simple hand pies and change the filling every few months.

As we wade deep into apple season, the choice is already made. You’ll definitely find gorgeous Sebastopol-grown Gravensteins at the Fillmore or Fort Mason farmers markets, but they’re really for applesauce or juice. Instead, grab a couple of crisp, tart Mutsus, Honeygolds or Granny Smiths; they’re not particularly local crops, so see your grocer of choice. I’ll definitely use a bit of cinnamon, but I leave the other brown spices for the pumpkin next month. I do like a bit of brightness from cardamom, and mine comes from Fillmore Street’s Oaktown Spice.

The apples go into a pan to soften with a small amount of butter, a bit of sugar, the spices and a splash of bourbon. (Ask at D&M Liquor about Larceny bourbon, which has enough caramel notes and sweetness to make me think “candy” before the punch lands.) The rest is detailed below.

Enjoy these hand pies. I know I will. And this time I may actually wait until they’re cool enough to eat.

APPLE HAND PIES

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place one rack in the center of the oven.

2-3 good-sized apples (Mutsu, Honeycrisp or Granny Smith) peeled, cored, cut into ¼” cubes
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons bourbon (or water if you prefer not to use alcohol)
½ teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator (keep in the refrigerator until ready to use)
1 large egg, beaten thoroughly
2-3 tablespoons Turbinado, Demerara or large granule white sugar

In a large skillet or saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, bourbon (or water) and lemon juice, stirring for 6-10 minutes until the apples soften. Take the pan off the heat, add the vanilla, stirring well. Put the apples on a dinner plate, spread them out and set them aside to cool.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mats.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry. With a sharp knife cut it into 12 equal rectangles. Place six rectangles on the lined baking sheet, equidistant apart. Top each rectangle with approximately 2 tablespoons of the apple mixture, leaving a ½” border around all four sides. Place the remaining rectangles over the filled bottoms, stretching them slightly if necessary. Crimp with a fork to seal the edges. Cut a diagonal 1” slit in the center of the hand pie. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the sugar of your choice.

Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven rack and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the pies are puffed and golden. Let cool on a baking rack; eat while still warm or when thoroughly cooled.

Shelley Handler, a longtime local who was the first head chef at the legendary Chez Panisse Cafe in Berkeley and an instructor at the California Culinary Academy, now teaches her neighbors, in their own kitchens, to cook better.