Call me crazy. Obsessed.
But I err a little bit on the stalker-ish side of the spectrum when it comes to cherries.
I wait with bated breath and yearning taste buds for that first day of the year when the price drops, precipitously and without warning, from a small fortune per pound to (at least in NYC) less of a small fortune per pound.
And then. I pounce.
While most bags get carried around with me everywhere I go, like a security blanket in edible form, the cherries ready and waiting to be plucked out and devoured whenever the mood strikes (which, if we’re being honest, is every thirty seconds). My last bag met a much grimmer fate.
The Cherry Massacre of 2012. Also known as The Day I Let Four Cups of Cherries Bleed Out On My Kitchen Table Without A Single Ounce Of Remorse.
It happened. There are splatter stains to prove it.
What can I say in my defense, other than that sometimes sacrifices must be made for the greater good.
And sometimes the greater good involves cherry guts on your ceiling and the most delightful cherry nutella hand pies in your oven.
That’s an ethically sound argument if ever I’ve heard one.
Cherry Nutella Hand Pies
Makes about 30, adapted from MattBites and Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients
For the pie crust
- 8 oz chilled butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 8 oz lowfat cream cheese
- 2 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp maple sugar or brown sugar
For the filling
- 4 cups pitted fresh cherries, chopped
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- juice of half a lemon
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1 cup nutella or chocolate almond spread
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp milk
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the cold butter and cream cheese until combined. Add the flour, salt, and sugar. Mix until the dough just comes together.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, split it into two and form each half into a patty, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Remove one of the dough patties from the refrigerator and unwrap it. On a floured surface, roll it out so that it is 1/4-inch thick. Cut the dough with a 2.5″ biscuit cutter and set cut-out onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Continue rolling the scraps until all the dough is used and then repeat with the second dough patty. Place pan with cutouts in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
- In a large pan, combine the cherries, cornstarch, sugar, salt, lemon juice, and almond extract. Bring to a boil and then simmer, stirring, until cherry juice has become slightly thick. Remove from heat.
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Remove dough cutouts from the refrigerator. On one piece of pastry dough, spread a thin layer of nutella and top with about a tsp of the cherry filling. Cover with a second pastry dough and use a fork to press down and seal the sides. Return this to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the milk. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg mixture onto the top of each mini pie.
- Bake pies for 20-25 minutes or until golden with cherry filling oozing out.
Amazing! I like the sound of the cream cheese pastry too.
Ok, these just look too good!
Cherries? Cream cheese pastry? Nutella? I’m moving into your kitchen. 🙂
Honestly, could the ingredients in these cute lil’ pies get ANY better?! I am a sucker for cherries on sale this time of year! We’ve had them in our fridge pretty consistently for the past few weeks… Maybe it’s time I baked with them though!
I know what you mean about the cherries. I’m obsessed. The season is so short around here though. Though I have to say that the new cherry pitter I got definitely keeps my counter from looking like there’s been a massacre.
These look amazing.
oh my those look amazing – I want one right now (and I confess I have already had enough chocolate this evening). I don’t usually bake with cherries because I can’t help but gobble them up fresh – but this recipe is a must bake recipe for summer
So worth it for these little pies!
oh cream cheese in the crust!
yes please
nicely done J
Looks so good. I’d love one of those for my breakfast today instead of this boring oatmeal with fruit. Have to say, you have the prettiest dishes!
DANGER DANGER DANGER! I’m with you on the cherries. I can eat bag after bag and not stop. Oh what I would do for one of these hand pies! They look marvelous!
Summer flavors in a hand pie ~ love this girl!
I will take a dozen:)
These little pies look out of this world! Chocolate and Cherries together is an amazing combination!! Yum!
Here I am thinking I scored pretty good for cherries at $1.88/lb…. (my all-time lowest was 99c/lb) but you got them for FREE!!!! Way to go! (I just hate pitting them!)
Oh ya. Just like eating chicken off the bone makes my kids feel grown up…being able to put a peace of fruit into their mouths and then spit out the seeds with a “pa-tooey!” is more excitement. We love cherry season. Do I even need to mention the pie obsession? I didn’t think so.
These look dangerously delish and I really want one.
Joanne Im absolutely craxy by cherries, i have a tree and almost cry when the last summer the birds ate all!! Anyway I love them and is too short the season I bookmarked thisl look amazing!
I too am obsessed… with anything Nutella 🙂 Okay cherries too. In fact I’ve been eating cherries by the bowl too now that prices are a little bit lower!
OMG, I’m currently fasting Ramadan and I just saw that first picture and started salivating. At least I’m not as thirsty anymore, lol! Seriously, I am making these in a month.
I’m in love with these and haven’t even tried them yet! A perfect combination!
Chocolate, hazlenut, and cherry…how bad could they be? 😉 Sounds totally delish! I wait to go visit my future mother-in-laws house so she can send us home with all the food she bought for our trip that we didnt’ finish (i.e. bags of cherries) so I don’t have to pay those ridiculous nyc prices!
These are so cute and look so tasty – yum! 🙂
Chocolate and cherries! Two of my favorite things put together. Yum.
Cherry fest at Whole Foods, I am going 🙂 These hand pies look so tasty!
Oh, me too, ME TOO! I’ve been a cherry-stalker my whole life. I’d totally devour a couple of these babies!
Seriously – I was just craving to bake something with cherries yesterday, and now I know what I want to make!
though i love nutella, i can tell that my favorite part of these would be the crust–it looks perfectly flaky!
Free of charge??? How did you manage that feat?? Your hand pies look awesome, bled out or not.
Two things to say. OMG. Free cherries. And. Guess I have to go buy another bag of cherries and hope enough of them make it home for this recipe.
Joanne, You need to come back to Seattle in late July or early August when local, organic Cherries are at their peak. They are magical!
This looks like a winner. Nutella is an ingredient I want to put in everything. For some reason, I’ve never thought of a nutella and cherry combination. I’ve tried every other combination..
Nutella in hand pies….I am in heaven!
Can you believe I’ve never had a hand pie? I hope if I do try one, it has nutella in it!
How do you have time to cook and bake this much? Really. Seriously. I’m jealous!
oh my god i’m in love with these adorable pies!
Cherries are worth the effort and the mess, for sure! Love the idea of combining the cherries and nutella. Plus–hand pies–what could be better!
Very cute pies! But my favorite cherry combination is cherry and pork. (I know, I’m sorry.)
Great combination!!
Is this real? Because it looks too amazing to be real!
I love chocolate covered cherries – I’ve never thought of combining fresh cherries with nutella though!
What georgeous looking pies. I love them. And the pastry sounds delicious with the cream cheese in it – it would be very soft and flaky. And chocolate and cherries go so well together. We currently have your USA cherries here in our stores. They are about $20.00/kg ($44/pound). I’m not buying too many of them! xx
these sound incredible!!
Oh my goodness, I think it is BRILLIANT that you added nutella to these pies!! Everything you do is so brilliant, girl. Also, I’m a cherry stalker myself. There have been many massacres in my kitchen as well. lol
The title of this post had an amazing effect on my heart rate. The pictures have extended it. I think I need to make this soon, or my health may be highly compromised! What a wonderful recipe.
Heaven on a platter my friend 😀
Cherries and Nutella? GENIUS!
Cheers
CCU
How delightful! Cherries and nutella are a fab combination.
That is SO decadent and delicious looking! Like Uru said, you are definitely a genius! 😀 Cherry + Nutella seems sooooo good….
I’m with you. Thank goodness they’re here!! Finally! I’m so happy you made something cherry and Nutella. I’ve never tried it, and now am going to bake the (insert swear word here) out of these!
What beautiful hand pies!
This is where decadence meets homey… I love it! Yes, when you don’t eat cherries plain it’s kind of a shame because they are so good just like that. But this one is an exception!
What is it about Nutella? People love it! GREG
HOW CUTE! and this marriage..made in heaven 😉
Twitter: @aSquishyMonster
We enjoyed your Cherry Cornmeal cake so much last summer; but you’ve kicked that up this year with these little beauties. Cherries with Nutella??! Be still my heart!
Cherries are an obsession of mine also. I love eating them fresh! Just be careful not to eat them with such abandon as I did once when I missed a pit and cracked a tooth.
These little hand pies look delicious!
OMG – so freaking beautiful! I love the flavor combo.
What beautiful little pies! I love cherries…and I love nutella, so I think this would be a real winner. I hope you have a great day!
I feel the same way about blueberries! Not that I don’t like cherries – especially with a flaky, butter crust wrapped around them and nutella of all things! What a delectable combo.
Cherry and nutella sounds deeelightful
These are perfect little cherry pies. I feel the same way as you do about these gems. I always buy the first batch that comes out even though I know it highway robbery, LOL. I have still never eaten nutella.
Heavens, YES! The cherries this year have been PHENOMENAL! And at $1.99/lb I stocked up! My cherry pitter has been hard at work and now I want to get busy making these! 🙂
Mmm…cherries. My sister and I share a love for them, but just not while at the beach and swigging Welche’s grape soda at the same time. Ugh. But a hilarious memory we both enjoy. Love the pies — so cute. But hold the Nutella for me. I swear I’m the only one on the planet who doesn’t get it. And I love chocolate and hazelnuts. Go figure.
Dear Joanne, These look wonderful. I bet you can’t eat just one!! I would love these with a nice cup of coffee. Blessings dear. Catherine xo
You had me at Nutella.
My sweet senses went off the moment I read ‘nutella’!! Ahhh…I would marry the stuff if I could. 😛
May the cherries RIP, but who are we kidding, that cheery massacre was well worth it. Your pies look A-MAZING, Joanne!!! The only thing is, because they’re mini- I’ll eat the entire tray, thinking ‘what the heck, look how small they are!’ Although, I will admit, I probably wouldn’t feel guilty. Worth every bite.
Thanks for visiting and leaving your sweet comment darling!
Toodles,
Tammy<3
I’d sacrifice A LOT for one of those hand pies. LOL
Worth it for sure!
Cherries cost a small fortune per pound around here too. I might just have to break down buy some to make these though.
YUM! I love cherries too and these little hand pies have me drooling.
As I’ve only just discovered how great cherries are this year, I’m also only just discovering how amazing cherries and chocolate are paired together, so I can imagine how delicious they would be in an adorable little pie! Too cute!
Thank you for your sacrifice! And these pies are just AH-FREAKING-MAZING! I seriously love that you used made-from-scratch pie crust.
I love cherries and I also cannot wait for our season to start. Sadly, it is not very long at all 🙂
cherries, pie crust AND Nutella?! That has to be some sort of sin. I’m drooling. Now…if I just had a cherry pitter! My daughter has fallen in love with Rainier Cherries…which are still quite expensive. That’s what I get for taking her to Trader Joe’s (they were giving out samples!)
Hand pies are the best. Definitely a worthy use for precious cherries
Joanne, you’ve truly outdone yourself here! I was traveling when this post was published and returned to it multiple times on my trip (marking unread each time) just to drool over these photos. What a delicious combination!
oh my!!! I WANT. love the cream cheese in the crust, too… too bad cherries won’t be around by the time i unpack 😛
Cherry & Nutllla..what a great combo!
These look awesome. I love cherries and chocolate together, so I imagine nutella just takes it up another notch!
YOU are most definitely cherryrific. Not to mention cherrtastic. And cherrylicious.
I’m obsessed with cherries, too. I’ve made nutella-cherry oat squares, but never handpies. Actually I’ve never made ANY kind of hand pies, which is really unfortunate. Must give these a try!
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Currently making these, but due to a shortage of ingredients I made the filling with 2 cups black cherries and 1 cup blueberries, and the rest will be smore (nutella and marshmallow fluff!)