Blueberry Hand Pies

Blueberry Hand Pies

These hand pies are little morsels of happiness; deliciously fruity, wrapped in a light flaky pastry and topped with a sunshine sweet vanilla glaze, I think these might be one of my favourite pie recipes ever and they are so delightful to make. You have to try this recipe It’s a no brainer.

The amount of sugar used in the filling will change each time you make this recipe I was lucky to have some gorgeously sweet blueberries this year though that isn’t always the case, I would always recommend trying the fruit before making the filling as this gives a gauge on how much you’d like to sweeten it. If you’re in a pinch you could use frozen berries, just add a little more sugar as they tend to be more on the sour side and mash the berries after the mixture has marinated for a while, you could also use a little extra cornflour if needed.

I love using my hands to make this dough but a food processor can really come in handy here if you are using a food processor make sure to use the pulse setting for a smoother dough. It is extremely important to use cold butter and cold water when making the pastry to make sure the pasty stays flaky and light.

The method for making the pies:

1. Roll out the dough to about the thickness of a coin
2. Cut out circles of dough with a builders mug or cookie cutter
3. On one side of the circle put about a teaspoon of the filling 
4. Dab a little water on the edge and stack on another pastry circle and press the edges together
5. Seal off the edge with a fork and prick a couple of times to release steam
6. Egg wash and sprinkle with a little granulated sugar
7. Place on a baking tray lined with grease-proof paper (You can use foil if you’re in a pinch!)
8. Bake at (180 degrees Celsius / gas mark 4 / 275 Fahrenheit) for 15 – 20 minutes flipping the tray halfway through cooking time until the pies are golden brown and well cooked

Now, let’s talk vanilla glaze, which is simply icing sugar, vanilla and a little milk; While this may seem like a simple addition and it is this
takes these hand pies to the next level and adds a pastry shop danish like quality that I just adore. Imagine, light crisp flaky pastry, baked to perfection filled with perfectly sweetened fresh blueberries with a little tartness to it, and topped with a sweet vanilla icing that has an ever so slight crunch to it. I hope you enjoy!

Blueberry Hand Pies

Hunar Baig

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Course Dessert

Servings 15 – 16 pastries

Equipment

• Cookie-cutter or builders mug
• Pastry brush
• Baking trays
• Grease proof paper

Ingredients

  

Hand Pie Dough

• 125 g butter (1/2 cup)
• 205 g plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
• a pinch of salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp caster sugar

Blueberry Filling

• 200g blueberries
• 2 – 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• a pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 – 2 tsp cornflour

Egg Wash

• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp milk

Vanilla Glaze

• 1/2 cup icing sugar (50g)
• 1 – 2 tbsp milk
• 1/4 tsp vanilla paste

Instructions

 

Hand Pie Dough

• Start by cutting the cold butter into small cubes
• In a large mixing bowl mix the dry ingredients and add the butter and egg yolk, have a cup of ice-cold water with a tablespoon ready but don't use the water yet!
• Start to incorporate the butter and flour mixture together until it has a crumble like consistency / the consistency of wet sand.

  You can do this by hand or using a food processor
• Now add a tablespoon of water at a time until the dough starts to come together. I normally use about a quarter of a cup but, every time you make this the amount of water will probably change, so go slow and steady
• Place the dough onto a clean surface and knead with a bit of flour until the pasty is not sticky and well combined and soft and form into a round disc

  Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least an hour
• Take the pastry out of the fridge 20 – 30 minutes before rolling out

Blueberry Mixture

• Mash the berries roughly with a fork, if you are using frozen berries let them defrost first and drain any excess liquid before mashing
• Stir in the sugar, lemon juice and vanilla then add in the cornflour and mix thoroughly making sure that there are no lumps of cornflour left in the mixture
• Now, cover and let the filling sit for at least an hour in the fridge to meld the flavours together, dissolve the sugar and thicken the mixture

  You could leave this mixture in the fridge for up to a day if desired

Vanilla Glaze

• In a bowl mix together all of the ingredients
• Whisk thoroughly so that there are no lumps and set aside until needed

Making the Pastries

• On a floured surface cut the dough into quarters and roll the dough pretty thin or to about the thickness of a coin on a floured surface
• Use a round cookie cutter or a round mug to cut out circles of dough, two circles per hand pie
• On one circle of dough put 1 teaspoon of the blueberry mixture, dip your fingers into water and run them around the rim of the pastry and place on another circle of dough
• Seal the edge with a fork and prick three times to release some steam and egg wash, then sprinkle with some granulated sugar
• Bake at (180 degrees Celsius / gas mark 4 / 355 Fahrenheit) for 15 – 25 minutes or until golden brown and crisp
• Let the pies cool and then top in a zig-zag pattern with the vanilla glaze, once the glaze sets the hand pies are ready to eat

Notes

– You will need extra flour for rolling out, kneading and dusting

– You can use frozen berries if fresh blueberries are not available

– Make sure to taste the berries before making the filling in order to gauge how much sugar if required

Keyword Blueberry, Pastry, Pie