Sausage:

Cup of Yum
1. Combine all ingredients except meat in a small bowl. Add spice mixture to ground meat and mix by hand until spices are well-incorporated into meat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Pie Crust:

1. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add in butter and shredded cheese. Squish pieces of butter between your fingers to flatten them.
3. Once all butter pieces are flattened, use a pastry blender to blend the butter and cheese into the flour mixture. Blend until all butter and cheese pieces are pea-size or smaller.
4. Drizzle ice water over flour mixture and incorporate water into crust using your hands. Start with ½ cup water and add more as needed. Amount of water needed will depend on the type of flour used, humidity, etc.
5. Add water until you can form the dough into a ball. Dough should stick together and be pliable but not sticky.
6. Form dough into 4 discs. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Filling:

1. After dough is in the fridge, prepare filling.
2. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add in lard and swirl to coat the pan. Break up meat until it makes a layer on the bottom of the pan. Let it cook for a while (3-5 minutes) before stirring or flipping it.
3. Once the bottom layer of meat has a nice crisp to it, flip the meat and redistribute in the pan. Continue cooking until meat is mostly browned, about 2 more minutes.
4. Add in chopped apples and stir to combine. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes or until meat is fully cooked. Remove meat and apple mixture to a plate.
5. Lower heat to medium-low and add butter to pan. Once butter is melted, whisk in flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until browned and bubbly.
6. Add in cider, stock, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Simmer until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
7. Add sausage and apple mixture to pan. Stir to combine and simmer and additional 1-2 minutes.
8. Let filling cool slightly before making hand pies.

Hand Pies:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 2 large sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. On a lightly floured surface, divide each dough disc into 8 equal parts. Roll each piece of dough into a ball. You should have 32 balls total.
3. Roll each ball into a 6" rough circle. Add 2 tablespoon filling to each circle. Wet the edges of the circle slightly and fold dough over filling to make a half circle.
4. Seal the edges of each pie by pressing a fork down on the edges.
5. Place pies on parchment paper-lined sheet pans. Cut 3 lines in the top of each pie to vent.
6. Note: You can roll out each ball into a circle before filling or work in batches of a few at a time.
7. Whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon cold water. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of each pie with the egg wash.
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and filling is bubbly.

Freezing Instructions:

1. Follow all steps above through hand pie assembly.
2. Place hand pies on parchment paper-lined sheet pan and cut slits in the tops to vent but don't brush with egg wash.
3. Bake at 425°F for 8-10 minutes or until crust is set but not browned.
4. Let pies cool slightly then place entire sheet pan in the freezer. Freeze until solid.
5. Place frozen hand pies in zippered bags or vacuum seal bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.
6. Thaw pies on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan overnight in the fridge. Brush with egg wash and bake at 425°F for 20-22 minutes.