To make the dough, measure the flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade. Add the butter and pulse several times to cut it in. Add the yogurt, water and egg and pulse until a clumpy, moist dough forms. Empty the contents of the food processor bowl out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and use it to bring the dough together into a disk. Wrap and chill at least one hour.
Purée the pears with the sugar and cinnamon until smooth and not at all gritty. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thickness and use a 3-inch round cutter to stamp out 16 disks.
Brush each dough disk with egg wash and spoon about 1/2 tablespoon in the centers. Fold the dough over to make a half moon and press down with your fingertips or the tines of a fork to close.
Place the hand pies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, lightly brush with any remaining egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar.
Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
To make the dough, measure the flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade. Add the butter and pulse several times to cut it in. Add the yogurt, water and egg and pulse until just moist. Empty the contents of the food processor bowl out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and use it to bring the dough together into 2 or more disks. Wrap and chill at least one hour.
Purée the pears with the sugar and cinnamon until smooth and not at all gritty. Fill a pastry bag with the filling and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (or 350 degrees F for convection). Roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thickness and use a 3-inch round cutter to stamp out 56 pieces weighing approximately 64 ounces.
Brush each dough disk with egg wash and pipe about 1/2 tablespoon of filling in the centers. Fold the dough over to make a half moon and press down with your fingertips or the tines of a fork to close.
Place the hand pies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, lightly brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
1. Thaw Eggs: Thaw 2 cups eggs (for 100 servings) for 48 hours in refrigerator. CCP: Hold at 40° F or lower.
2. Prepare Dough and Chill: Add flour, sugar, and salt to a food processor bowl using the S-blade or to a large bowl. Cut margarine, yogurt, eggs, and water into the dry ingredients until dough forms. Remove from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap. (Note: Spray wrap with nonstick cooking spray to keep it from sticking.) Chill in the refrigerator for 1-24 hours. CCP: Hold at 40° F or lower.
3. Make a Slurry: In a small bowl, whisk together reserved pear juice and cornstarch. Set aside. CCP: Hold at 40° F or lower.
4. Prepare Spiced Pears: In a stockpot or kettle on medium-high heat, add drained pears, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir. When juices on the bottom of the pan begin to lightly boil, slowly pour slurry into pears stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Decrease heat to low and simmer until nectar thick. Remove from heat. CCP: Heat to 145° F for at least 15 seconds. CCP: Hold at 140° F or higher.
5. Roll Dough: Remove dough from the refrigerator. Cut dough into 1.4-1.5 oz pieces and roll into balls. Lightly flour work surface and roll out dough balls into 4 ½” x 4 ½” circles.
6. Make Hand Pies: Place 1/8 cup (#30 scoop) spiced pears to the center of each dough round. Fold dough over to form pie, press edges together using a fork. Place hand pies on baking sheets (20 per full baking sheet) lined with parchment paper. Brush egg over the top of each pie and sprinkle with sugar.
7. Bake Hand Pies: Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. CCP: Heat to 145° F for at least 15 seconds. CCP: Hold at 140° F or higher.
*1 #10 can pears diced, packed in juice or light syrup provides about 9 1/2 cups (66 oz) drained pears. We recommend using only U.S. grown and canned pears for the best flavor, quality, texture, and yield.