Blueberry Hand Pies
When I was in high school home economics class, we spent two days making fried pies. At that time, I thought fried pies only came in little packages at the convenience store. I had no idea you could actually make them yourself. Although I love nearly everything fried, I prefer my hand pies baked with coarse sugar on top. Blueberry hand pies are probably my favorite dessert of the summer, especially when blueberries are ripe and sweet at the farmers market. They take a bit of effort, but once they come out of the oven, oozing with blue syrup, you’ll know it was worth every minute. Be sure to practice patience, and let the pies cool completely before you serve them.
Ingredients
Makes 8
Pastry:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 sticks butter (8 ounces), cold and cut into 1/4” cubes
1/2 cup cold water
Filling:
1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
½ cup sugar
zest of one orange
zest of 1/2 lemon
pinch kosher salt
juice of one orange
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 egg
2 tablespoons coarse decorating sugar
Process
Pastry:
In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, salt, sugar, and butter. Pulse 20-25 times, until mixture is blended and resembles cornmeal. Slowly add the cold water while pulsing the food processor until the dough comes together. It’s important you do not over mix. Pour out dough onto a board and form into a ball.
Divide the dough into 16 balls, approximately 1.75 ounces each. Place on a plate and cover with a towel. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Filling:
In a medium saucepan, add the blueberries, sugar, orange zest, lemon zest, and salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
In a small bowl, combine the orange juice and cornstarch until the cornstarch has completely dissolved. Add to the blueberry mixture, and continue simmering for ten minutes. Pour the mixture into a bowl and let cool completely. (Filling can be prepared the day before you assemble the hand pies.)
To assemble hand pies, roll each dough ball out on a floured board until they are 5” circles. Spoon 1/4 cup of filling onto the center of 8 circles, then top each with another circle of dough. Press the edges with the tip of a fork to seal. Using a knife, cut three slits into the top of each pie to allow steam to escape. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a splash of water. Brush the tops of each pie with the egg wash, then sprinkle with the coarse sugar. Place pies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool completely before serving.
