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Blueberry Hand Pies in a pile on a cooling rack
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5 from 2 votes

Blueberry Hand Pies

Flaky, buttery crust wrapped around a delicious blueberry filling.
Prep Time2 hours
Cook Time1 hour
chilling2 hours
Total Time5 hours
Course: Dessert, Pie
Cuisine: American
Keyword: blueberry, dessert, pie
Servings: 14 hand pies
Calories: 239kcal
Author: Tricia

Ingredients

For the filling:

  • 3 cups fresh blueberries divided (about 15 ounces)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup cold water

For the pastry:

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (354g)
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into ½-inch pieces (4oz or 113g)
  • 6 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening like Crisco - not vegetable oil
  • 6 to 7 tablespoons ice water
  • 1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk for brushing on the pastry
  • coarse sugar or lemon glaze for topping

Instructions

To prepare the filling:

  • Rinse fresh blueberries removing stems and debris. Pour 2 cups of berries into a medium saucepan reserving the remaining 1 cup to add later. Add the lemon juice, vanilla, sugar and salt to the saucepan. Stir gently to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, cook for 2 minutes while mashing some of the blueberries with a fork or spoon. The berries should be splitting apart at this point.
  • Stirring constantly, slowly drizzle about half the cornstarch slurry into the blueberry filling. Add half the remaining slurry or more until the sauce is as thick as jam. Reduce the heat and cook for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Gently fold in the remaining 1 cup of blueberries. Set the filling aside to cool. Once cooled, spoon into a glass jar and refrigerate until needed. Filling can be made several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. The filling is best used when cold.

To prepare the crust:

  • Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour in the ice water and pulse again until the dough starts to hold together. Don’t over process.
  • Pour the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Gather the dough together and divide in half. Form each half into a disk about 6-inches in diameter. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to 3 days.

To assemble the hand pies:

  • Remove one dough round from the refrigerator and allow it to rest at room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes. Lightly flour a clean work surface. Unwrap the dough and place on the floured counter top. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/8th or up to 1/4th-inch thick. If the dough starts to split while rolling, allow it to warm another minute or two and try again.
  • Cut out as many 4-inch rounds as you can at first pass. Place the dough rounds on a piece of parchment or wax paper. Gather remaining dough scraps and re-roll. Cut out as many 4-inch rounds as possible. Any remaining dough scraps should be placed in the refrigerator to chill.
  • Beat together the egg and milk. Brush the egg wash over the top of the pastry rounds. Place 1 ½ tablespoons of chilled blueberry filling in a mound in the center of each pastry round. Don’t overfill or you won’t be able to seal. Start small and add more if you can to ensure each hand pie is full. Pull up the sides of the pastry to make the hand pie look like a taco. Starting at the bottom and working your way up to the middle, firmly pinch the dough together to seal. Leave the top center area for last.
  • Lay the pies on their side and firmly press the edges together using the tines of a fork. Using a small knife, cut a few small slits in the top to vent. Move the unbaked pies to a parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before baking. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Finally, gather any remaining scraps and cut out as many rounds as possible. If the dough becomes hard to handle or sticky, refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes and try again.
  • When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Line one or two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat mat. The pies should be spaced about one inch apart.
  • Remove the pastries from the refrigerator and place on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops and sides of the pies with the remaining egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using, and make sure the vent holes are open. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the pies to a wire rack to cool. Pies can be served slightly warm.

For glazed or drizzled hand pies:

  • Once all pies are cooled, mix together 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Add more powdered sugar or lemon juice as needed to reach the desired consistency. Drizzle the icing on top of the pies before serving. You can also brush a thin glaze over the pies. Simply add more lemon juice to the icing to thin and lightly brush on each pie. Allow the glaze to set before serving. Glazed pies should be refrigerated for best results.

Notes

  • Blueberry Hand Pies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Refrigerate or freeze for longer storage.
  • You should get between 12 to 16 hand pies depending on how thick you roll the dough, and what size you cut the pastry rounds. Thinner hand pies may not need to bake as long as thick pies.
  • You should have a little leftover blueberry filling. Leftovers are delicious mixed into yogurt, dolloped on biscuits, pancakes or a bowl of ice cream. Blueberry sauce will keep for about a week in the refrigerator.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 169mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 217IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg