Apple Hand Pies with Cream Cheese Crust

Sift the flour onto a work surface. Add the salt and cold butter straight from the fridge, then chop the butter and flour together with a knife.

Add the finely grated cheese.

Rub all the ingredients together with your hands until crumbly.

Add 5 tablespoons of ice-cold water to the resulting crumbs.

Knead the dough. It will turn out pliable, non-sticky, and easy to work with. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Peel the apples and grate them on a coarse grater. Place them in a bowl and drizzle with lemon juice to keep them from browning.

Roll out the dough to a thickness of 4-5 mm. Cut out circles using a pastry cutter.

Place a small amount of filling onto each round and pinch the edges together like a dumpling. If the filling is very juicy, it is best to squeeze it out slightly.

Arrange the pies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush with milk.

Sprinkle the tops of the pies with granulated sugar and place them in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F).