Cherry Hand Pies

My Mother and my Grandmothers all made pies with lard and I did to when I was a girl at home.  I remember we all went to my Grandparents house, always in the winter time and they butchered.  After the lard was rendered we brought home a large 10 gallon metal bucket for the coming years use.  We fried, baked, cooked everything with it.

I have been thinking about lard because it is not artificial, not full of preservatives if you buy it at a slaughter house or from a processor.  When I looked at the grocery there were preservatives.  So. last week when I drove up to Haubstadt to Joe Engelbrecht's wonderful orchard I went on to Dewig's Meat Processing and Market.  They had lard without any preservatives so I purchased a 4 pound pail.
There would be the residue of any chemicals the animal has been given.  I tell myself since this is small town America it will not be as much because it is locally raised, maybe I am deluded but hopeful.

I have this ongoing battle with myself about fake versus real and chemicals versus natural.

Well anyway, I made pastry for these pies using lard just to see and remember the difference.

Ingredients for Pie Crusts:

4 C. flour
1 t. baking powder
2 t. salt
1 2/3 c. cold lard
1/2 C. ice water
1 beaten egg
1 T. white vinegar

This is a adaptation of the pie crusts I usually bake but I used lard instead.  Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.  Cut in the lard with a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse meal.

Using a smaller bowl beat the water .egg.and vinegar together.  Form a well in the center of the flour and add the wet ingredients mixing with a fork until it forms a rough ball of dough.  Turn unto a well floured work surface and divide into 4 parts and pat each into a disk.  Wrap each disk and refrigerate for up to 3 days.  Freeze if you want to keep it longer.

Cherry Pie Filling:

2 C. pie cherries
3/4 C. sugar
1 1/2 T. tapioca
1/4 t. almond extract
1 T. butter
sugar for sprinkling

Mix the cherries, sugar, tapioca, and almond flavor together in a bowl and let stand 10-15 minutes before using.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Place parchment or Silpat mats on baking sheets and set aside.  Roll the pastry as for a pie and cut 3 1/2" squares and place 9 of them on the prepared sheets.

Place a tablespoon of the filling in the center of each square.  Roll another portion of the pastry and cut another 9 squares.   Cut the center of each square for the steam to escape.  Place the second square atop the first to cover the filling.  Crimp the edges with the tines of a fork dipped in flour.  Sprinkle the tops with sugar for a pretty glisten.  Bake 15 minutes.  Cool on a rack and serve.  Yield 9 pies.