Cherry Hand Pies......

I cheated a little and used ready made pie dough for these adorable little cherry hand pies.  I have to be honest here. I don't like or eat cooked cherries, but everyone else seemed to enjoy them.  Here's the recipe!

For the filling:
3 cups pitted cherries, roughly chopped (1 to 1 1/2 pounds whole cherries)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Combine the cherries, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the cherries are juicy and the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, 5 more minutes. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the juice into a small bowl; stir in the cornstarch until dissolved. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan and continue to simmer, stirring, until very thick, 6 to 8 more minutes. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the lemon juice and let cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll the  ready made pie dough. Cut out 5-inch circles.  Place cut circles on the prepared baking sheets,  Spoon 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling into the center of each circle, fold over, making sure the filling is not spilling out the edges, and crimp the edges with a fork. Pierce the tops to create steam vents.
2. Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.  Bake for 15 minutes, until golden. Let sit on sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.