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Blueberry Hand Pies

Source of Recipe

From "Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food" by Rick Rodgers


Recipe Introduction

"You may have memories of finding small, individually wrapped pies tucked into your school lunch box. And while everyone has his or her favorite pie, surely blueberry is at or near the top of most lists. Be sure to have plenty of napkins ready, as part of the appeal is the delicious fruit juice that runs down your hands."

List of Ingredients

◦ 2 cups (8 ounces) blueberries
◦ � cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
◦ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
◦ 2 teaspoons cornstarch
◦ Double recipe of Flaky Pastry Dough (recipe follows)
◦ Flour for dusting
◦ 1 large egg


Recipe

In a saucepan, combine 1 � cups of the blueberries, the � cup sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the berries begin to give off their juices. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until all of the berries have burst, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water. Add the cornstarch mixture to the blueberry mixture and cook until the juices come to a boil and thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining � cup berries. Place the saucepan in a bowl of ice water and let the mixture cool, stirring frequently.

Preheat the oven to 375� F. Have ready an ungreased rimmed baking sheet. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and divide in half. (If the dough is chilled hard, let it stand at room temperature for a few minutes until it begins to soften before rolling it out.)

One at a time, roll out a dough half into rectangles about 12 by 10 inches and ⅛ inch thick each. Trim the edges evenly. Using a paring knife, cut each pastry sheet into three rectangles measuring 10 by 4 inches. Place about 3 tablespoons of the blueberry filling on one-half of a rectangle, leaving a �-inch border uncovered. For each pie, with a long side facing you, fold the dough in half vertically so the edges meet, then crimp on all sides with a fork. Transfer to the baking sheet.

In a bowl, beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water to make an egg wash. Lightly brush the pies with the egg wash, cut an X in the top of each pie, and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake the pies until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let the pies cool on the pan on a wire rack, then serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 6 hand pies



❧ Change It Up:
To make a simple glaze, sift 1 cup confectioners' sugar into a bowl and whisk in 1 to 2 tablespoons water until the mixture has the consistency of heavy cream. Brush the icing over the cooled pies, then let set for a few minutes before serving.





❧ Flaky Pastry Dough:

◦ 1 � cups all-purpose flour
◦ 1 tablespoon sugar
◦ � teaspoon fine sea salt
◦ 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
◦ 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled
◦ About � cup ice water

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
Cut the butter and shortening into chunks and scatter over the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture just until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs the size of peas.

Drizzle the ice water over the flour mixture and toss with a fork until the dough forms moist clumps. If the dough seems too crumbly, add a little more ice water.

Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to two hours. Or, overwrap with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 1 month, then thaw in the refrigerator before using.

For one 9-inch pie