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1
Make the Fillings: Combine cream cheese filling ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth.
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2
Place in fridge until ready to use.
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3
For the apple pie filling, melt the butter in a medium saucepan.
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4
Add the rest of the filling ingredients and cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until apples are soft but not mushy.
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5
Use a slotted spoon to strain out the apple pieces.
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6
Return the pan to the stove and continue to cook for another 5 to 10 minutes until juice is reduced to 1/3 and is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
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7
Pour thickened juice back onto apples.
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8
Let cool to room temperature
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9
Make the All Butter Pie Crust: Stir the flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl.
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10
Add the butter pieces and coat with the flour mixture using a bench scraper or spatula.
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11
With a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture, working quickly until mostly pea-sized pieces of butter remain (a few larger pieces are OK; be careful not to overblend).
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12
Combine the water, cider vinegar, and ice in a large measuring cup or small bowl.
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13
Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the ice-water mixture over the flour mixture, and mix and cut it in with a bench scraper or spatula until it is fully incorporated.
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14
Add more of the ice-water mixture, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, using the bench scraper or your hands (or both) to mix until the dough comes together in a ball, with some dry bits remaining.
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15
Squeeze and pinch with your fingertips to bring all the dough together, sprinkling dry bits with more small drops of the ice-water mixture, if necessary, to combine.
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16
Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, to give the crust time to mellow.
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17
Wrapped tightly, the dough can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 1 month.
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18
Make the Hand Pies: Preheat oven to 350F.
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19
Roll chilled pie dough out on floured surface to approximately 1/8 inch thick.
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20
Use a cookie cutter to cut out forty 4-inch circles, re-rolling if necessary.
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21
Place a dollop of cream cheese in the center of half of the circles.
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22
Top with a spoonful of the apple pie filling.
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23
Cover with another pie dough round and gently pinch the edges together.
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24
Use the tines of a fork to seal further and to create a fluted edge.
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25
Cut a small X-shaped slit on the top of each pie with a paring knife.
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26
Use a pastry brush to brush with heavy cream and sprinkle with raw or demerara sugar.
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27
Chill in freezer for 10 minutes before baking.
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28
Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until dark golden.
