Chocolate Cherry Hand Pies

So, it has been quite a crazy past month and a half. To say that I have been busy would be a huge understatement.

I got out of my Spain study abroad classes mid-May, and jumped right into my summer Eurotrips by flying to Rome to meet my boyfriend who was coming from California. We had a wonderful two week trip traveling around Italy, and it was amazing to see him after so long!

Nev and I in the Cinque Terre in Italy.

After my two weeks with Nevin, I flew back to Spain and had a three day traveling break (to do laundry and sleep) before hopping on a six hour bus ride to meet a friend from my college Bailey in Barcelona. We spent a few days there, then we went to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and later Bruges in Belgium.

Bailey and I at La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

Then I took a train from Belgium to Paris to meet my friend Phoebe for a little less than a week! I just got back from this second two week trip on Friday.

Phoebe and I at the Eiffel Tower in Paris

I had this weekend to relax and do laundry again, before my sister Caroline and I head to London to visit our uncles tomorrow!

London is my last Eurotrip planned before I finally head home to California July 5th! I have been so nonstop-go traveling that I haven't had a chance to keep up with my two blogs (even the travel one haha). But I wanted to participate in the June chocolate party before heading out again! To read more about my travels check out La Primavera en España.

These little guys came out of my forever unsatisfied urge to experiment with pie doughs. Last summer I made these sour cherry hand pies at the bakery I worked at, and I have been thinking about them all year.

I wanted to put a little twist on the typical cherry pie by incorporating chocolate into the dough for the June party. I also completely love hand pies because they're fairly easy to put together, and they're so stinkin' cute.

I actually made the dough and the filling, and ended up freezing them both inbetween my travels for two weeks because I ran out of time. When I came back this weekend and put them together to bake, they both worked fine! Just stick them both back in the fridge for a few hours before you're going to bake. So they can be prepped beforehand if you'd like to have them on the fly.

Pie Dough: (adapted from Cookstr) Yield: 4 hand pies
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tbsp dark cocoa powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (cold is best!)
4-5 tbsp iced water

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk until evenly distributed.

Then use a pastry fork to cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until it resembles a course meal (pieces smaller than a pea).

Drizzle 4 tbsp iced water over the mixture and using a wooden spoon, gently fold into the dry ingredients. If it does not come together, add another tablespoon of water. Gather into a ball, and flatten to a disk before wrapping in plastic and refrigerating for at least an hour (or freeze, and safe for later use).

Pie Filling:
Quarter kilogram fresh cherries (about 1/2 pound)
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour

Pit the cherries, and cut into fourths. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until it begins to thicken.

Let cool before transferring to a container to save in the fridge or freezer until you assemble the pies.

Pie assembly:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment (don't skip the paper, or you'll have a huge mess to clean up from oozing cherry!).
On a well floured surface, roll out your pie dough until about a 1/4 inch thick.

I have a hand pie press that I used, but you can easily use large cookie cutters or even just a knife to cut out shapes. Fill the pies with about 2 tablespoons cherry filling, and using warm water paint the edges of the dough to be able to seal them.

Using a fork or the pie press seal the top on. Then cut a little breathing hole in the top.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until you see that the dough has dried and the filling is bubbly!

Then garnish as you see fit! I used whipped cream and left over cherry filling juices. What a beautiful little mess they turned out to be. They would go great with some vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce! :)

Less than two weeks before I go home after six months in Europe. I know there will definitely be some reverse culture shock to be had, but I'm getting more and more ready to be back in California. 

Oh how I miss Mexican food!!!

Here's how the Chocolate Blog Party works:

There's a special ingredient each month to be paired with chocolate!

You can submit up to 3 recipes each month.

You include a link back to the monthly round-up or the Chocolate party page

You just have to be sure that the recipe is published for the current month!