Start with two cups of fresh cherries. There are a few different methods for pitting them, but I found that splitting them down one side and pulling the pit out is the easiest.
I realize now that this photo looks a little creepy. But it's all in the name of Cherry Hand Pies! I used a metal skewer to poke through the top of the cherry, and then slide it down along the side of the pit. Then gently pull the pit out. Don't worry if sometimes it's a bit tricky to get out, and the cherry ends up looking like you stepped on it. They don't really need to be in one piece, we just need to make sure no one is going to take a trip to the dentist after eating one {funny side note: when I made these last week with a friend, we were doing a little too much chatting while pitting and threw some of them in the cherry bowl instead of the discard bowl. One of the people who found a rogue pit was...a dentist. Gasp! No broken teeth thought, thank goodness!!}.
After you're done pitting and your fingertips have turned a pretty shade of red, throw the cherries into a sauce pan with one cup of sugar, 2/3 a cup of dried cherries, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook it over medium heat until the cherries release a good amount of juice, about five minutes. In a small bowl, mix together 1 1/2 tablespoons of cold water and 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Add it to the cherry mixture and bring to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature. This is important! You need to let the sauce thicken up so it doesn't run all over your pretty pastry packets.
Thaw out a 14 oz. package of puff pastry, and roll it out enough to cut out six 5 x 6" rectangles. They usually come in two packs, so I cut six out of one and three out of the next, to give me nine total. Be generous with the flour, these boys are sticky.
After the puff pastry is all rolled out and cut, use one egg to create a wash over the top to help seal the pie pockets. I forgot to do this for the first one, I was too excited! But I quickly remembered when I tried to seal it and it wouldn't!
Transfer the puff pastry {one at a time} to a baking sheet covered with wax paper. Add 3 tablespoons of the cherry mixture to one side. Try not to eat it, it's very tempting but I promise it taste ten times better when surrounded by flaky & buttery pastry!
Fold the pastry over and gently pat down the edges to keep the sauce from dripping out {it's ok if it does, sometimes it's inevitable!}. Dip a fork in flour and crimp down the edges, making the perfect little packet of happiness.
When all the packets are filled, brush the tops with the rest of the egg wash and sprinkle generously with raw sugar. Cut two slits in each packet and place in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and bake until the tops are golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for ten minutes, and then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Tada! These really are an amazing dessert, and quite easy. When my sister was pregnant with my niece, she had an addiction to those awful cherry pies you get from the gas station {the ones in the wax paper that sound like a great idea, until you eat one and then wish for a time machine to make a better gas station snack purchase}. I can't wait to make these for her to show her what a real cherry hand pie is supposed to taste like! But, I know my sister well and with her ridiculous sweet tooth I have a feeling she is going to defend her gross preservative filled cherry pies. Oh well, more for me!!
