Apple Cinnamon Latticed Hand Pies


Ingredients:
all-purpose flour, salt, granulated sugar, unsalted butter, cold water, apples, granulated sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, salt, egg, milk

Directions:
Special Equipment.
Food processor, apple cutter (3-inches x 3 ½-inches], two baking sheets, 12 or 18-inch plastic ruler, pastry brush.
DIRECTIONS.
To make the pie dough, fill a small bowl with ice and water and set aside. Place the flour, salt and sugar in the food processor bowl. Pulse the mixture two to three times to mix the ingredients together. Add the butter to the food processor bowl and use a fork to toss the pieces to cover them in the flour mixture. Place the lid on the food processor and pulse four to five times. At this point, the pieces of butter will still be fairly chunky (about the size of lima beans].
Add the ice water to the mixture and pulse the mixture until the dough starts to come together in the bowl (25-30 pulses. See Baker’s Notes below]. Empty the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface, leaving behind any overly wet dough that remains at the bottom of the bowl.  Use your hands to gently gather the pie dough together in a ball. Using a knife, cut the dough ball into three pieces and flatten each into a disc, approximately 1-inch thick. Wrap the three discs tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before proceeding.
To make the filling, in a small saucepan, toss the cubed apple, cinnamon, sugar, cornstarch and salt to combine.  Over a medium-low heat, warm the mixture, stirring constantly, until the apple begins to soften and releases its juices (approximately 3 minutes]. Turn the heat to medium and continue to stir constantly until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken (another 1-2 minutes].  Remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the mixture to a bowl to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes.
To make the lattice strips, remove one pie dough disc from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured sheet of parchment, roll the dough out to an 11-inch by 12-inch rectangle. Using a ruler and knife, cut ¼-inch wide strips of pie dough across the 11-inch width. (You will have forty four  ¼-inch by 12-inch strips of dough.] Transfer the parchment paper, with the strips on it, to a baking sheet and set aside.  Repeat this process with the second disc of dough. Gently place the second sheet of strips, on the parchment paper, on top of the first set of strips. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap to keep the strips from drying out and set aside (See Baker’s Notes below].
To make the hand pie bottoms, on a lightly floured sheet of parchment, roll out the third pie dough disc to a 12-inch square  Press the apple cutter lightly into the dough to make  an impression (do not cut all the way through the dough]. Repeat to make a total of six impressions in two rows (three impressions per row] equally spacing the impressions apart. Place 2 tablespoons of apple-cinnamon filling in the centre of each impression, leaving a ¼-inch border around each edge.  Slide the parchment with the pie dough impressions on it onto a baking sheet and set aside.
To assemble the lattice, transfer the top sheet of strips, still on the parchment, to a work surface, ensuring that the strips are vertical in front of you. Fold every other strip back on itself.  (These strips will now be half the length of the alternating strips]. Drawing from your second sheet of pie dough strips, place one strip horizontally over the unfolded vertical strips. Next, unfold the folded vertical strips so they lay over the horizontal strip (They should now be back in their original position]. Now, fold back the strips running under the horizontal strip back over the horizontal strip (this is the set of strips you did not fold back the first time]. Lay another horizontal strip across the unfolded vertical strips and then unfold the set of folded strips so they lay over the horizontal strip. Continue latticing, alternating sets of strips until the bottom half of the lattice is complete.  Follow the same process to complete the top half of the lattice.  Slide the completed lattice, on the parchment paper, onto a baking sheet and transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.  If you have leftover strips, set them aside.
Preheat the oven to 375°F  Make an egg wash by whisking together the egg and milk in a small bowl. Set aside. Remove the chilled lattice from the refrigerator and slide it, still on the parchment, off the baking sheet and onto a work surface. Line the baking sheet with a fresh piece of parchment and set aside. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the lattice into six pieces, each approximately 3 ½-inches by 4-inches. Set aside.
Place the baking sheet with the hand pie bottom impressions in front of you. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash around the edges of the six apple impressions. Using an offset spatula or small lifter, carefully place the lattice pieces over the impressions, being sure to encase the apple cinnamon filling and cover the impression outlines completely.  Gently press along the edges of the lattice rectangles to ensure that they seal to the bottom pie dough. Place your apple cutter over each lattice rectangle, being sure to center it carefully, and cut out an apple shape. Carefully pull away the excess pie dough (It can be used to make two additional hand pies along with any extra pie dough strips, if desired, or refrigerated/frozen for another purpose]. Run an offset spatula or lifter under the cut hand pies and gently transfer them to the parchment-lined baking sheet.  Brush the hand pies with egg wash then transfer them, on the baking sheet, to the freezer to chill for 15 minutes.
Place the chilled latticed apple hand pies, on the baking sheet, into the oven. Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the apple filling bubbles through the lattice. Allow the hand pies to cool for 30 minutes.
Baker’s Notes:
When making the pie dough, do not add more water than called for in the recipe, even if it looks like the mixture is not coming together.  Instead, continue to pulse until the mixture starts to clump.
If your kitchen is very warm, transfer the lattice strips to the refrigerator to chill before proceeding with latticing.  Allow the strips to warm for a few minutes before starting to lattice.