Pear Hand Pies with Dark Chocolate Drizzle
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Pear Hand Pies with Dark Chocolate Drizzle are packed with pears that have been baked in brown sugar and cinnamon between a flaky crust dusted with coarse crunchy sugar. The drizzle of dark chocolate gives this pie a deep richness.
THIS POST HAS BEEN UPGRADED FROM 10/18/16 TO IMPROVE READER EXPERIENCE.
I think people are either pie lovers or cake lovers, don’t you? Me, I’m definitely a pie lover. That doesn’t mean that I would turn down a great slice of cake. If you throw in chocolate, the lines definitely get a little more blurred. These Pear Hand Pies with Dark Chocolate Drizzle would convince any cake lover that they are definitely a pie lover.
Growing up I had the largest pear tree right outside my bedroom window. I loved the pears that tree provided every year but during a storm, that tree would scrape my window making scratching noises and scary shadows. My imagination had me diving under the covers.
My grandmother canned those pears, and I could almost eat a whole jar by myself. I just loved how soft and sweet they were. The pears in this Pear Pie recipe are just like that. Pear filling baked between a flaky buttery crust and then drizzled with dark chocolate gives this pie a warm richness.
Making individual pies guarantee that everyone gets their own serving, and I’ll take mine with a scoop of ice cream.
What are the best pears for baking?
Anjou or Bosc is the recommended varieties for baking. However, I grew up using Bartlett Pears and that’s my go-to now because I love them! It’s not recommended to use Comice pears.
What is the history of hand pies?
According to Oregon Live, hand pies were usually meat so were called meat pies or pasties. They originated from 19th century England as a convenient lunch for Cornish tin miners. Thank you, England!
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Tips for storing and baking individual pear pies:
- Individual fruit hand pies can be assembled and then frozen unbaked for up to 3 months. To Bake put them, place in a 350°F oven right from the freezer (no need to thaw). Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer than the original recipe calls for so in this case 35 to 40 minutes.
- Baked pear hand pies can be frozen as well. To reheat allow the hand pies to thaw (in the refrigerator overnight works great). Place on a baking sheet in a preheated oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until heated through. Cover loosely with foil is they start to get too brown.
- Fruit pies keep at room temperature for two days; you can store them, loosely covered, in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- I don’t recommend cooking them in the microwave. A quick reheat for ice cream purposes is encouraged, however!
A few gadgets to make this recipe easier!
- Biscuit cutter – Why buy 1 when you can have 9? Stainless Steel will not rust and these cutters are great for cutout cookies, empanadas, and even ravioli!
- Baking Sheets – These sheet pans are durable and I have four of them so I can everything baked in a jiffy!
- Unbleached Parchment Paper – This is my favorite parchment paper. It’s important to know that there is an oven temperature rating on parchment paper. If you exceed it your parchment paper can catch fire in your oven. This one is rated to 450°F, high enough for my bread recipes too.
- Dark Chocolate Puff Pastry Hand Pies
- Cherry (Heart-shaped) Hand pies
- Blueberry Pineapple Hand Pies
- Caramelized Pear Pie Filling
- Toasted Coconut Pear Muffins
- Pear Crisp
The BEST thing about Hand Pies!
The thing that I love the BEST about Hand Pies is that I get my own! I don’t have to be secretly disappointed by getting the smallest slice of a pie. Shhhh. You too right?
Pear Hand Pies with Dark Chocolate Drizzle
Ingredients
Pie
- 2 pie crusts purchased or homemade
- 4 fresh pears peeled and diced 1/2" I used bartlett but Bosc and Anjou are great choices.
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 4 tbsp Real Fruit Pectin
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp water
- Sugar Turbinado, demerara or white granulated
Chocolate Drizzle
- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 2 rimmed baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the pie ingredients except the crusts. Stir together and set aside.
- Flour a flat working surface and roll out pie crust. Using a 4″ cookie or biscuit cutter, stamp out circles. Continue combining and re-rolling scrapes to get additional circles until you have 24.
- Spoon two tablespoons of pear mixture (I used a 2T scoop) into the center. Wet your finger with water and run it around the bottom circle edge. Place a circle over the top and press lightly to match the top and bottom edges. Run a fork around the edge to seal.
- Whip egg white and water together with a fork. Brush over the top of each pie. Sprinkle with sugar. Using a knife make four slits for venting.
- Place six pies on each baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
- Remove pies from pan to a cooling rack. Let pies cool completely.
Chocolate Drizzle
- Put cream in a glass measuring cup and microwave until hot in 30-second intervals. Pour over chocolate and stir until smooth. I put my chocolate in a small food processor, poured hot cream over the chocolate, and pulsed until smooth.
- Using a fork or piping bag, drizzle over pies.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or freeze in an airtight container or bag for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
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