2applestart variety, like Pink Lady or Granny Smith
1tsplemon juice5 mL
½cupdark brown sugar100 g, packed
1tspcinnamon5 g
¼tspnutmeg1.5 g
1Tbspall-purpose flour7.5 g, + more as needed
A few smallthin slices of Gouda
A dash of coarse sugar
Instructions
In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. With a pastry cutter or forks, mix butter and shredded cheese into flour until dough is crumbly and pea-like.
Add water, 1 Tbsp at a time, just until dough holds together.
Shape dough into a ball, wrap loosely in plastic, and flatten gently with a rolling pin to form a thick, pancake-like disc. Set plastic-wrapped dough in fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
Peel, core, and chop apples into small chunks. Into the apples mix lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour. Add more flour if filling is runny.
On a clean, well-floured surface, roll dough to ⅛ inch (.3 cm) thick*.
With a 3 to 4 inch (7.6 to 10 cm) wide circle cutter**, cut out as many circles as possible. Shape leftover dough into a ball, roll out, and cut out more circles
On one half of each circle, set a small, thin slice of Gouda cheese. Top with a spoonful of apple filling.
Brush whisked egg around the edges of each circle, then fold each circle in half. With a fork, seal the edges.
Place hand pies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Brush each pie well with whisked egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake at 400 degrees F (204 C) for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Notes
Use a mature Gouda cheese. The younger cheeses will be too gooey for this recipe, while the deep flavor of the extra old cheeses will overpower these pies.*If you’re like me and don’t actually have a rolling pin, use a bottle of wine! Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the dough and roll away.**Unless you’re a pastry master chef, you may not have one of these. Use a wide mouth cup of mason jar!