Homemade Home Run Pies

Have you ever had a Home Run Pie?

I used to LOVE them.

When we were kids, my siblings and I used to get them whenever we had a snow day. That’s how I remember it, anyway. For me the tradition solidified in college, when I started doing my own grocery shopping. A pre-snowstorm trip to the the grocery store always included picking up a Home Run Pie. Or two.

I’m not sure when or why Horizon Food Group stopped making Home Run Pies, but I feel a slight hint of sadness at not being able to get one when I make an emergency grocery store run just before an impending blizzard. (Horizon Food Group does seem to have replaced Home Run Pies with “Cutie Pies”, which boast of being made with real fruit and whole grain wheat, though they contain partially hydrogenated oil. Also, the only store that carries them is Wal-Mart.)

So a couple of weekends ago, when we were hit with a foot of snow, I decided it was time to try making something like a Home Run Pie from scratch. I started with this recipe and figured I could count this as the first toward my bucket list goal of making 100 different kinds of pie.

Although they don’t taste quite like I remember Home Run Pies tasting, I’d say they turned out rather well (and no doubt one zillion times healthier). And since I’m committed to perfecting the sugary glaze on the outside of the pies, I may just make some more this weekend. We are supposed to get nine inches of snow tomorrow, after all.     

Homemade Home Run Pies Recipe (modified from spoon fork bacon):

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. In a bowl sift together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
  3. Add 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes, and 1/4 cup cold cream cheese, cut into cubes, then cut in with a pastry knife or your fingers until a fine crumble is made.
  4. Add 2 tablespoons buttermilk and gently work together, until a dough just comes together.
  5. Form the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 25-30 minutes.
  6. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface until ¼ inch thick.
  7. Cut twelve 4 inch circles from the dough and fill each with a small amount of cherry pie filling (you can make the filling from scratch when cherries are in season - but we’re making snow day treats, here).
  8. Whisk together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon heavy cream.
  9. Brush the perimeter of each pie with the egg wash and fold/pinch together, creating ½ circles.
  10. Press the ends with the back of a fork to seal and brush the tops with the egg wash.
  11. Using a pairing knife, cut 3 small slits on the tops of each pie.
  12. Place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.
  13. Allow the pies to cool completely on a cooling rack.
  14. While the pies cool, place 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, and 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract into a small bowl and gently stir together with a fork until fully incorporated and smooth.
  15. Using a pastry brush, spread the icing over the top of each pie.
  16. Enjoy!