Take all purpose flour, sugar and vanilla pith scrapped in a mixing bowl.

Add the cold butter cubes to it.

Mix well with finger tips breaking the butter cubes through the flour. The whole mixture should resemble crumbs.

Add 4-6 tablespoons water at intervals and bring the dough together. Do not knead it. Just bring the dough together and mix very gently. Now flatten the dough into a big disc of about 1/8" thick and place between parchment papers. Refrigerate for an hour.

After an hour remove the dough disc and cut out small circles as shown. Refrigirate the shaped circles too.

In the mean time wash and pit about 1 1/4 cups of fresh cherries.

Place the cherries in a heavy bottomed pan. Add sugar and mix well.

Cook in medium flame till the sugar is completely dissolved and cherries are cooked and soft. Add lemon juice and switch off the flame.

Allow the filling to cool thoroughly.

To make pies take a small cut disc and spoon in some filling in the center. Place few chocolate chips on it. Cover with another disc and seal the edges with a fork. make few slits on the pie.

Arrange the pies in a baking tray and bake at 200C for 12-15 minutes in a preheated oven. The top will turn golden brown and the edges will be crispy. This shows the doneness of the pies. Allow the pies to cool for 10 minutes. Serve chocolate cherry hand pies warm or at room temperature.