Sweet and savory hand pies are little bundles of deliciousness

No need to spend all that time peeling eight to 10 apples for an apple pie. Hand-held galettes make preparation a snap. Peel two apples and voila! Apple pie like you remember from Grandma’s kitchen but with an updated look.

If you want to use your favorite homemade recipe for pie crusts in place of store-bought, make enough for two 9-inch pie crusts.

Remove pie crusts from refrigerator and let come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place thinly sliced apples in a medium bowl. Toss with lemon juice. In a small bowl combine brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Pour over apple slices and toss gently.

Unroll one pie crust on lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, gently roll thinner. Cut 4 circles, 5 inches each, from pie crust. Place on prepared pan.

Spoon about  1/8 of apple mixture into the center of each pastry circle. (Don’t worry about the juices left behind; we will deal with that later.) Fold sides up over apples, using your hand to gently press into place. (The center of the apples will not be covered with pastry. This will be a rustic look and will be delicious.) Move mini galettes closer together to make room for all 8 on the pan. Repeat with remaining pie crust. Using a spoon, carefully drizzle any remaining juices left in the apple mixing bowl into the center of each galette.

Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and apples are done.

Pumpkin may be a classic fall pie, but this hand pie version can’t be beat. The maple glaze takes just a moment to blend and brush over the warm pies but adds incredible flavor and a glossy finish.

To make clean-up easy, place a wire cooling rack over a foil-lined, rimmed sheet pan. Remove pies from hot oil and place on the wire rack to drain. Leave the pies on the rack when brushing with the glaze.

You may substitute 1 (14.1-ounce) box refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts) for the crust recipe in the recipe. Roll and cut as directed. Fill, seal edges tightly and proceed as recipe directs. Lift out of the hot oil using a slotted spoon.

To make the crust: In a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse to cut butter into the flour, processing until it forms coarse, even crumbs. Add egg yolks and pulse to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in the water, processing just until it comes together and forms a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour, or overnight.

To make the filling: In a small bowl, stir together pumpkin, brown sugar, spice, vanilla extract, egg yolk and cream until combined; set aside.

Cut the dough in half. On a lightly floured board, using a rolling pin, roll half of the dough until thin. Cut 6 rounds, 4 inches each, from each pie crust. Repeat with remaining pie crust.

Whisk together the egg white and 1 tablespoon cold water in a small bowl. Brush the border of each pastry round lightly with the egg white mixture. Spoon about 1 tablespoon filling into the center of each pastry circle. Gently fold the pastry over the filling and press the edges tightly to seal.

Fill a Dutch oven with about 3 inches of oil. Heat, uncovered, over medium high heat until oil reaches 350 degrees. (Check the temperature with an oil/candy thermometer to be sure it is 350 degrees. If oil is too cool, the pies will be greasy, but do not overheat the oil.)

Fry pies in batches of 3 or 4 pies so as not to crowd, cooking until golden brown on each side, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove pies and drain. Repeat with remaining pies.

To make the glaze: Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Brush glaze over the top of each warm pie.

Allow pies to cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve pies warm or at room temperature. If you wish to stack the pies, allow the glazed pies to cool about an hour, or until the glaze is glossy and dry.

Praline Pumpkin Hand Pies: Spoon about 1 teaspoon candied chopped pecans onto each pastry circle, then top with pumpkin and proceed as recipe directs. Purchase candied pecan halves and chop, or to quickly make your own, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan. Add 3 tablespoons brown sugar and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in  1/3 cup chopped pecans and cook, stirring constantly 2 minutes. Spoon onto a tray line with parchment paper to cool.

These savory chicken and cheese tarts are portable so they are perfect to pack for lunch, take to a tailgate party or on a picnic. The tasty chicken filling is neatly sealed inside the buttery pastry, making them easy to pack, serve and eat.

To make the crust: Whisk together the flour, Parmesan cheese and salt in a mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse, even crumbs. Stir together the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of milk. Add the egg-milk mixture to the flour mixture. Using a fork, lightly stir until the flour is moistened. If additional moisture is needed add remaining  1/2 tablespoon milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the flour is moistened. Gather into a dough. Divide the dough in half; wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

(Alternatively, you can use a food processor to quickly make the crust. Place the flour, Parmesan cheese and salt in the work bowl of a food processor; pulse to blend. Add butter and shortening and pulse until both are evenly cut into flour mixture. Add egg yolk and 2 tablespoons milk to the work bowl. Process just until mixture comes together and forms a ball. Proceed as recipe directs.)

To make the filling: Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl until combined.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.

Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a 6-by-12-inch rectangle on a floured board. Cut each piece into 6 (3-by-4-inch) rectangles, making a total of 12 rectangles. Place 6 of the rectangles on the prepared pan, about 1 inch apart.

Evenly divide the filling over each of the 6 pastry rectangles, spooning about 1  1/2 to 2 tablespoons of filling into the center of the pastry. Spread lightly, leaving a  1/2 -inch border.

Whisk together the egg white and 1 tablespoon cold water in a small bowl. Brush the border of each filled pastry rectangle lightly with the egg white mixture. Place a second rectangle of dough directly over the first. Use the tines of a fork to seal the edges of the pastry together. Prick the top pastry several times with a fork. Brush the top lightly with the egg white mixture. Bake 23 to 26 minutes or until golden. Remove the tarts to a cooling rack to cool.

Cooking note: Substitute 1 can (4.5-ounces) chunk chicken breast, drained and flaked, for the  1/2 cup of chopped cooked chicken. Or substitute  1/2 cup chopped roasted turkey for the chicken.

Transport tip: Make the Chicken and Swiss Tarts the day before and cool completely. Pack the tarts between layers of paper towels and place in a zip-top plastic food bag. Place the sealed bag of tarts in the refrigerator overnight. Pack the bag in a cooler along with a frozen ice or gel pack. These are just as good served chilled.

Strawberry tarts are a year-round treat. Use fresh or frozen strawberries to make this treat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.

Set pie crust out of refrigerator while preparing filling.

Stir together 3 tablespoons sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Add strawberries and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the juices come to a boil and thicken, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool until just warm, about 5 to 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured board, using a rolling pin, roll one crust into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle. (It is possible to roll the round crust into a rectangle. Gently, using your fingertips, roll up 2 opposite sides of the crust so it measures about 9 inches across. Roll, with rolling pin, applying pressure, to make a 12-inch rectangle.) Cut the large rectangle into 9 smaller 3-by-4-inch rectangles. (Use a ruler for straight sides and exact measurements.) Transfer each rectangle to the parchment-lined pan, placing about  1/2 to 1 inch apart.

Roll and cut the second pie crust in a similar fashion, cutting 9 small 3-by-4-inch rectangles.

Whisk together the egg white and 1 tablespoon cold water in a small bowl. Brush the border of each pastry rectangle on the pan lightly with the egg white mixture.

Spoon about 1 to 1  1/2 tablespoons filling into the center of each pastry rectangle on the pan. Do not overfill and leave a border about  1/2 -inch wide around each rectangle without filling.

Place a second rectangle of dough over each tart. Use fingertips to press and seal lightly, then use the tines of a fork to crimp tightly. Cut a steam vent into the top of each tart with tip of a sharp knife.

Brush the top of each tart lightly with milk. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top of each tart.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until crusts are golden brown.