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Chai Spice Apple Hand Pies (dairy-free)

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These perfectly portioned Chai Spice Apple Hand Pies are the new & improved, grownup version of those overly sweet, processed pies we ate as kids! Soft, buttery crust filled with a decadent, spicy apple filling. All topped with a simple spiced glaze!

Chai Spice Apple Hand Pies

There’s something about Autumn and the approaching holiday season that puts me in an even greater mood to bake (you, too?). After making homemade apple butter, I really wanted to incorporate more apples and spice into another dessert! I’ve made hand pies before, and I think they’re just such a fun, little treat. I love chai spice and the added cardamom (it’s one of my fave spices to bake with!), so I decided to toss some diced apples in a chai spice mix and throw them into a batch of gorgeous, perfect-for-fall hand pies! I added a thin cardamom glaze to the tops of each pie to give them some extra pretty. And also because those packaged hand pies I ate as a kid were covered in glaze, so, ya know, nostalgia.

What You’ll Need

  • Flour – I like to use all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour for these
  • Sugar – your fave granulated sugar; I used coconut & raw cane sugar
  • Plant-based butter aka vegan butter (or regular butter)
  • Apples
  • Lemon juice
  • Chai spices – I incorporated cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and black pepper (all ground and found in the spice aisle)
  • Vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar
  • Egg (or plant-based milk or melted coconut oil) for the egg wash
Yield: 6 Hand Pies

Chai Spice Apple Hand Pies

Chai Spice Apple Hand Pies

Perfectly portioned apple hand pies with cozy chai spice! A soft, buttery crust envelopes a decadent apple filling. All topped with a simple spiced glaze, these mini "pies" are perfect for the Fall and Winter season!

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

Crust

  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
  • 2 Tbsp coconut sugar (or white/raw cane sugar)
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup plant-based butter, cold & cubed
  • 2-5 Tbsp ice cold water

Filling

  • 4 large apples (or 5 small apples)
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • Pinch black pepper
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 Tbsp coconut sugar (or white/raw cane sugar)
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Egg Wash

  • 1 egg, beaten

Cardamom Glaze

  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp cardamom
  • 1/2 - 2 Tbsp plant-based milk or water

Instructions

  1. Prepare the dough by pulsing the flour, coconut sugar, and salt in a blender or food processor. Add the cold, cubed butter and pulse. Add 2 Tbsp of ice cold water and blend. Continue adding 1 Tbsp of ice cold water until the dough comes together - you'll know it's ready when you pinch some between your fingers and it sticks together; small chunks of butter are desired!
  2. Dump the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a ball. Flatten to a disc shape and wrap securely in the plastic. Refrigerate the dough while you make the filling, or for at least 30 minutes prior to rolling out.
  3. Peel, core, and dice your apples. Add them to a medium bowl and toss with the remaining filling ingredients - cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, black pepper, vanilla, coconut sugar, and lemon juice.
  4. Heat the apple mixture in a pan over medium-low heat until the apples are almost totally soft. Make sure the apple mixture doesn't get too dry - you can add a bit of water to the pan if needed.
  5. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare the egg wash by whisking the egg in a small bowl.
  6. Cut the chilled dough into 6 equal pieces (use a kitchen scale for accuracy if you wish). Quickly shape each into a ball - handling it for too long will soften it up again. Flour a large work surface and begin rolling out the small dough balls, one at a time, to about 1/8" thick. Brush egg around the edge of the dough and spoon about 1/4 cup of the apple filing into the middle. Fold the circle together, creating the hand pie shape. Press the edge together with your fingers and roll the edge inward (or crimp edge with a fork). Transfer the pie to your prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all 6 hand pies are assembled.
  7. For golden-colored pies, brush the tops of each with the egg wash (I didn't do this). Cut three small vents into the top of each pie. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until the filling is bubbling. If you skipped the egg wash your pies will be very light in color.
  8. While the pies are cooling, make the glaze. In a small sauce pan, add the powdered sugar, vanilla, cardamom, and 1/2 Tbsp of plant-based milk. Stir until combined, cooking on low heat. Add more milk until the glaze is thin enough to pour over your hand pies. Once the glaze is warm to the touch, generously and quickly pour the glaze over each pie - the glaze will set very quickly!
  9. Allow pies to cool or enjoy right away with a fork! Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  • Dough can be made ahead of time, but it will need to sit at room temperature to soften enough to be rolled out
  • Coconut oil can be used in place of butter in the crust, but the pie crust won't be as soft and tender
  • Crust recipe adapted from Food with Feeling

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Pastries

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Cherry Galette with Walnut Cacao Crust

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An easy and dairy-free cherry galette with a nutty, chocolatey crust to redeem any ill-will toward chocolate + cherry. Oh. Is that just me? As a kid I hated those bright red, chocolate-covered cherries with the white goo. You know, the ones popular with our parents or grandparents around Christmas time? Well, we alway had a couple of boxes laying around for the holidays, because my dad loves them. For the longest time, I wouldn’t go near anything chocolate + cherry, because omg remember those boxed cherries?! It wasn’t until I was well into adulthood that I gave chocolate cherry ice cream a taste, and my heart freaking sang. That stuff is good.

When I saw chocolate cherry galettes trending a bit on Instagram, I knew I wanted to take my galette recipe and turn it into a warm, chocolatey dessert bursting with one of my favorite summer fruits. The filling is very simple, and I promise that the hardest part is pitting the cherries. If you don’t have walnuts on hand, you can simply use another 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour, and, as always, regular cocoa powder will work just fine if you don’t have cacao powder. The chocolate drizzle is optional but will take your galette to a whole nother level of chocolate cherry goodness, and who doesn’t want that?! (it’s okay if you don’t want that)

Galettes are meant to look rustic, so don’t stress about rolling out a perfect circle or getting the edges tidy and clean. Your folds can be a bit hasty, too, but if the crust begins to split, be sure to pinch it back together – use a little water if you need to – so your filling stays put. Happy baking!

Cherry Galette with Walnut Cacao Crust

Crust
1/3 cup walnuts
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp cacao powder
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, solid
~5 Tbsp ice cold water
Filling
2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved
1 1/2 Tbsp tapioca starch/flour (or 3/4 Tbsp corn starch)
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
Egg Wash
1 large egg, beaten
Chocolate Drizzle
3 Tbsp dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
1 tsp coconut oil

1.) Add walnuts, flour, cacao powder, coconut sugar, and salt to a food processor or blender and blend until walnuts have turned to fine crumbs. Add solid coconut oil and blend until combined. Add 2 Tbsp of ice water and blend. Continue adding ice water by 1 Tbsp until dough comes together and looks quite sticky. I found that adding the cacao powder makes the dough look ready when it’s not (i.e. it looks wet enough but dries out by the time I roll it out). I ended up adding about 5 Tbsp of ice water.

2.) Scoop dough out onto plastic wrap, shape into a ball, wrap, and flatten to a disc shape. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until solid enough to roll out.

3.) Preheat oven to 375°. On a large piece of parchment paper, roll dough out into a large circle about 1/8 – 1/4” thick. Use a little flour to keep the dough from sticking to your rolling pin. If your circle looks more like a rectangle, that’s okay.

4.) In a medium bowl, mix cherries with tapioca starch and coconut sugar. Scoop mixture onto your rolled out crust, being sure to leave ~1 1/2” of bare crust around the edge. Pour any leftover liquid over the cherries.

5.) Brush the exposed crust edge with egg wash and fold edge over the cherries, going around until all of the edge has been folded over (don’t worry about it being perfect!). If your crust breaks open, gently pinch it back together with your fingers, using water to help smooth it together if you need to. Egg wash the top of the crust and sprinkle with a bit of coconut sugar (optional).

6.) Gently transfer parchment paper/galette to a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 20-30 minutes or until fruit is bubbling. Allow to cool to desired temp before serving. Just before serving, melt your chocolate chips and coconut oil together. Drizzle chocolate mixture over your galette. Top with your favorite ice cream and enjoy!

  

Dairy-free Blueberry Hazelnut Galette

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I’ve always seen galettes as the cooler, more sophisticated older sister to a traditional fruit pie. I’ve been ogling them for so long it’s embarrassing, so I’m thrilled to report (after making my first galette!) that they are actually easy to throw together! Seriously. Galettes are so much easer than making a double crust fruit pie. And with their exposed fruit and rustic look, they’re just as enticing for any pie lover! Since rustic is the name of the game, you don’t even really have to worry about making them pretty!

For this Blueberry Galette, you’ll whip up the dough in a food processor or blender, mix your berries with a few ingredients, and build your galette by wrapping the dough up and over the filling – that’s it! You don’t have to make a pretty border, cut a lattice, or worry about perfectly positioning a top crust. You just fold the dough right over, making sure to smooth together any tears and voilà! You have a beautiful dessert reminiscent of homemade pie but with half the work!

Dairy-Free Blueberry Hazelnut Galette
Serves 6-8

Crust
1/3 cup hazelnuts (with skin on)
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
3/4 tsp fine sea salt or table salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, solid
~5 Tbsp ice cold water
Filling
2 cups fresh* blueberries, rinsed and dried
1 1/2 Tbsp tapioca starch/flour (or 3/4 Tbsp corn starch)
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Egg Wash
1 large egg, beaten

1.) Add hazelnuts, flour, salt, and coconut sugar to a food processor or blender and blend until hazelnuts are ground to a fine meal. Add the solid coconut oil and blend until combined. Add 2 Tbsp of ice water and blend, scraping down the sides as necessary. Continue adding ice water 1 Tbsp at a time until dough comes together (I ended up adding about 5 1/2 Tbsp of ice water).

2.) Dump the dough onto a piece of plastic and shape into a ball. Wrap dough ball in the plastic and flatten to a disc shape. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm enough to roll out.

3.) Preheat your oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, mix the blueberries with the tapioca starch, coconut sugar, and lemon juice; set aside.

4.) On a piece of parchment paper, roll your chilled dough out into a large circle about 1/8 – 1/4” thick (it can be a bit rectangular, too!). Use a little flour to keep the dough from sticking to your rolling pin. Pour blueberry mixture onto the middle of your rolled out crust, leaving ~1 1/2” of exposed crust at the edge for folding. Pour any extra liquid over the blueberries.

5.) Brush the exposed crust edge with the whisked egg and begin folding the entire edge over the blueberries. Work your way around the galette until you’ve folded it all up (don’t worry about it being perfect!), making sure to seal any holes or tears. Brush the top of the crust with egg and sprinkle with a bit of coconut sugar (optional).

6.) Gently transfer your galette (with the parchment paper) onto a baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for around 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Let your galette cool a bit before topping it with your favorite ice cream. Slice and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.