2 to 3tablespoonsWaterto make a slurry with Corn Starch
Final Touches
1Eggwhisked to seal edges and wash tops of pastries.
Turbinado sugarfor sprinkling
INSTRUCTIONS
Pie Crust
Make a batch of pie crust according to instructions. Refrigerate overnight.
Alternatively, this recipe can be made with a store-bought pie crust.
Blueberry Pie Filling
Place the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and zest into a large skillet.
NOTE: Swap in 3 cups or apples, apricots, cherries, or peaches.
Heat over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil.
Continue to heat until sugar is dissolved and berries are broken down. Reduce the heat if necessary.
Once the mixture begins to thicken add the cornstarch slurry. (Make the slurry by adding water to the corn starch and mixing until it is a thin paste and has no lumps.)
Bring the mixture to a boil. Increase the heat if necessary.
Boil until the fruit mixture begins to thicken.
Remove from heat and let the fruit mixture cool.
Place in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.
Assembly
Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator. Let is warm slightly for about 10 to 20 minutes before rolling out.
Prepare several baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or a silpat.
Tear or cut the pie crust into two equal pieces. Roll one section into a ball and then out to a thickness of about ⅛ of an inch.
Cut the dough into rounds using the round pastry cutter and place onto parchment paper.
Add about a teaspoon of filling to each mini pie.
Wash the edges with an egg wash using your finger or a small brush.
Fold over the pie dough and crimp with a fork.
Wash the entire surface of the pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Place the hand pies into the fridge and preheat the oven. The colder the pie dough is when it goes into the oven, the flakier the pie crust will be after baking.
Baking
Preheat the oven to 450℉
Pierce the top of each hand pie with a sharp knife to vent it while baking.
Bake for 12-15 minutes. Oven temperatures vary so watch your first batch closely
RECIPE TIPS
Recipe VariationsYou can make these hand pies with almost any fruit. Just a few that come to mind: apple, apricot, cherry, and pumpkin.Simply replace the three cups of blueberries with the fruit of your choice. For my Hawaiian Hand Pies, use the pineapple caramel from my pineapple sweet rolls. Extra ono!!!How to Freeze hand piesYou can freeze these adorable hand pies before or after baking. To freeze before baking:
Assemble the pies and then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Place the uncooked hand pies in the freezer and freeze until they are frozen solid.
Store in an airtight container in the freezer until you are ready to bake.
When you are ready to bake, bring them to room temperature for about an hour and then bake according to the directions above.
To freeze after baking:
Assemble and bake the pies according to the instructions.
Let the pies come to room temperature and then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Freeze until solid.
Store in an airtight container until ready to reheat.
How to reheat hand pies:
Bring the pies to room temperature and then reheat at 350℉ for 10 to 15 minutes. [I like to use my toaster oven for this.]