You won't believe that these charming little hand pies are made with tomatoes! Unripe green tomatoes are disguised as apple pie in this twist on a vintage southern classic.

You won't believe that these charming little hand pies are made with tomatoes! Unripe green tomatoes are disguised as apple pie in this twist on a vintage southern classic.
Today we’re gonna make something extra special - we’re gonna make sweet hand pies with unripe tomatoes. Believe it or not, green tomatoes taste delicious in a sweet pie. In fact, this vintage southern pie is sometimes called mock apple, because it tastes remarkably similar to apple pie.
This is a really fun way to use up the tomatoes from your garden that didn’t get a chance to ripen. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces cold butter, diced
1 tablespoon vinegar (optional)
1/3 cup cold water (more or less as needed)
1 pound unripe tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar (vanilla sugar is great if you have it!)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 egg, beaten
A splash of milk or water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
A pinch of salt
1. Mix dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Add water and vinegar one tablespoon at a time, slowly incorporating until mixture starts to form a shaggy mass. Pour onto lightly floured surface and fold gently until it all comes together. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes before rolling out.
1. Toss diced tomatoes with sugar, cornstarch, and spices. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes, until tomatoes have released their juices.
2. Strain tomato juices into a small saucepan and simmer until thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Toss thickened juice back in with tomato mixture. Allow to cool.
3. In the meantime, roll out pie dough and cut into small squares or rounds. I used a 3" drinking glass to cut circles. Divide pie circles onto 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Cut little slits or a small 'X' into half of your pie rounds - these will be the tops. Chill pie dough in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before filling.
1. Remove pie dough from refrigerator and scoop a tablespoon or two of tomato filling onto half of your dough rounds.
2. Whisk egg and water together in a small bowl.
3. Brush edges of pie rounds lightly with egg wash. Place top rounds over filling, pressing all around the edges to seal. Use a fork to crimp the edges together around the sides.
1. Combine cinnamon, sugar, and salt.
2. Brush tops of pies with more egg wash and sprinkle heavily with cinnamon mixture.
3. Chill pies again for another 20-30 minutes before baking.
4. Preheat oven to 375° F. Bake pies until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, about 25-30 minutes.