I was in the grocery store yesterday and came across some fresh concord grapes (my very favorite fruit!),  so I decided to buy a bunch not only to snack on, but also to experiment with. Since it’s beginning to truly feel like fall, the first idea that came to mind was pie, but a whole pie seemed like too much work for my busy day, so I went with some smaller one-person hand pies instead. And my goodness, was that the right decision! Not to sound like a narcissist, but these are freaking delicious! A perfect mixture of buttery, flaky pie crusts with juicy, sweet grapes. They are just SO. DANG. GOOD. If you’re looking for a light snack, one will do the trick…or for something a little sweeter, serve a la mode with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Whichever way you decide to eat yours, I promise you will not be disappointed. Follow along below (by clicking “Read More”) for the recipe.

Ingredients – Pie Dough:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• pinch of salt
• 4 oz unsalted butter, chilled
• 1/4 cup ice water

Directions: In a food processor pulse the flour, sugar, and salt together. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch thick pieces and add to the flour mixture. Pulse until a coarse meal. Pour mixture into a bowl and gradually add the ice water, while mixing with your hands. Form dough into two balls, wrap each ball in plastic wrap, and set in the refrigerator to chill for at least 90 minutes.

Ingredients – Concord Grape Hand Pies:

• 1 batch of pie dough (above)
• 2 cups concord grapes
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp sugar
• large pinch of salt
• 1 large egg, whisked with 1 tsp water

Directions: Preheat oven to 375°. Using a spoon, mix the grapes, lemon zest, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Use a bit of pressure while mixing to smash some of the grapes (about a quarter of them).

Working on a floured surface (or a Silpat), roll out the dough into rectangles. You can either roll out all of the dough together into a 15×12-inch rectangle and then cut it into 6 rectangles, OR you can just roll out 1 rectangle at a time if you prefer to work with a smaller amount of dough. Brush the edges of the dough with water and scoop a mound of grapes into the center of each rectangle. Fold the dough over, and press the edges together with a fork to seal.

Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet (or a Silpat), brush with the egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar. Cut a slit in the top to allow the pie to breathe while baking.

Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.