The Perfect Blueberry Hand Pie Recipe
This post is dedicated to my then 16-year-old son, without whom it would not have been possible to do the extensive research required to formulate the perfect hand pie recipe. Rob was a tireless taster of toasty hand pies, eating as many as five in a 24-hour period. My eternal gratitude paid off in the form of a freezer full of frozen hand pies. (Alliteration, much?).
I froze several pounds, made jelly with a couple of pounds and began the search for the perfect blueberry hand pie with another couple of pounds.
Table of Contents
The remaining berries were eagerly and joyfully consumed by the handfuls. Not a berry went to waste. And what is it about fresh blueberries that make them so enticing? Is it their size that makes it so easy to pop in your mouth? The bite of sweet and tart? Whatever it is, this family has the date circled on the calendar that we can head to our favorite organic blueberry farm and pick our own.
So, onto the perfect hand pie. I have tried my hand at hand pie-making (wow, first alliteration crazy and now I’m working the pun!) but have been often frustrated at the results.
I was in search of a recipe that would yield a hand pie whose crust didn’t crack and allow all the blueberry goodness to escape. It’s a fine line to have a crust that is still tender and flaky, but also sturdy, and I think I have it! But before we get to the recipe, here are some of my…
Tips for a Perfect Hand Pie
- Keep your cool! Chilling the crust ingredients before, during and after making your hand pies is critical! You can’t rush this part.
- Don’t bake ahead. Your hand pies will be perfect for a couple of hours after baking, but will slowly get soggy. You can always crisp them up in your oven, but even better would be to make a batch and keep them in your freezer until you need them. And then it’s a quick 25-30 minutes from freezer to finished.
- Egg whites are your friend. Brush the egg whites over the entire surface of the dough before you put the filling on your dough. This helps create a bit of barrier so that the fruit doesn’t make the crust soggy and helps the ends adhere to each other.
- You certainly don’t need a hand pie press, you can just cut the dough into a circle or square and then turn half of it over the other half. However, if you are looking for one, this is the one I used.
- And if you don’t have a pastry mat, I do recommend one. I got mine recently and after years of making pies without one, I can honestly say it makes the process so much easier. You’ve got the little diameter marks to make sure you are rolling to the right size. Plus, you don’t need as much flour and it’s easy to pull back the mat and get your dough off it and into your press or pie plate. This is the one I have and I am very pleased with it. Word to the wise…don’t use a sharp knife to cut your dough…just saying.
- I use ClearJell Starch for thickening the filling. This is not the instant form of this product, I have not used the instant form so I can’t speak to it. I have it on hand as it is the only thickener to use when canning pie fillings, but it is great when not canning as well. It is widely used in bakeries and produces a thick, clear but creamy tasting filling without the flour or starch taste. However, you can substitute cornstarch as indicated in the recipe.
- And finally, if you are in the midst of making your hand pies and your son calls you outside to show you how he can create a siphon by sucking on a tube to empty the lawnmower of gas (uh…OK!), then, by all means, tuck your hand pies in the freezer before you head out. It seems that cats like pastry dough, or maybe they don’t, but they have to take a couple of bites to be sure one way or the other.
So after experimenting with variations on a basic pastry crust and for the filling, I finally hit the hand pie jackpot! This recipe produces a crisp, flaky crust that is just sturdy enough to be held in your hands bursting with a flavorful filling thick enough to stay in the pocket of the pie.
The Perfect Hand Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons butter 1 stick, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and very cold
- 1 egg yolk save the white
- 1/2 cup full fat sour cream with a couple more Tablespoons as needed
For Filling
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 TB sugar or more if you like a sweeter filling
- 1 TB clear gel or 1/2 TB cornstarch
- 1/4 -1/2 TSP cinnamon
Instructions
For Crust
- In a food processor, mix flour and salt.
- Add very cold butter to flour mixture all at once and pulse until mixture resembles a coarse meal, with just a few larger pieces remaining.
- Mix egg yolk with sour cream and add to coarse mixture and pulse until you the dough will hold together when squeezed. If it's too dry, add sour cream to the mixture, tablespoon by tablespoon.
- Divide dough into 4 equal pieces (approximately 3 ounces each), form into disks and wrap in parchment or wax paper.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour, or up to 2 days in the refrigerator or one month in the freezer.
While the dough is chilling prepare the Filling
- Mix blueberries sugar, cornstarch, or Clear Jel and cinnamon together. Mash a few of the blueberries to release their juice. You don't want it soupy, but just enough to incorporate the sugar and starch so that those ingredients are no longer dry.
- Set aside.
- At the end of 1 hour, roll each dough disk to a 1/8 inch thickness, which will form a circle of approximately 6-6 1/2 inches.
- If you are using a hand pie press, flour your press and lay your flattened dough disk on the press.
- Brush the entire disk, the side where your filling will be, with egg whites.
- Place 1/4 cup of blueberry mix in the middle of the disk and fold over, crimping down the edges.
- Make 3 small (1/2 inch) cuts in the crust and place on a parchment-lined tray that will fit in your freezer and complete the process for the other 3 dough disks.
- Note: the dough is difficult to work with when it warms up, so work quickly or keep them in the fridge until you work with them.
- Once all 4 are done, place them in the freezer for at least one hour. You can make them ahead of time and keep in an airtight container and just bring out to bake as needed.
To Bake
- Preheat oven to 400'F.
- When the oven is heated, remove hand pies from the freezer and brush with egg yolk. Sprinkle with sugar if desired.
- Place in oven and set a timer for 10 minutes.
- At the end of 10 minutes, reduce temperature to 350'F and bake for 10-15 longer.
- Enjoy the deliciousness!
Nutrition
For the record, I love regular old round pies as well. But there is just something so darn appealing about a pie that you can eat with your hands!
So my friends, if you are smack in the midst of blueberry season where you live, by all means, get out there and pick a pound or two or twenty-two and enjoy all the tasties that you can make with your blueberries. I will be back with my recipe for blueberry jam. In fact, I think I’ll begin a series of blueberry posts…The Blueberry Chronicles! If there is a fruit that deserves to be chronicled, it has to be the blueberry…and maybe the peach…stay tuned.
Thanks again for spending a few minutes of your busy day with me today.
Please know that I welcome each and every comment that comes my way. If you want to make sure you don’t miss future content, pop your email in the beige box up on the right or click here. I usually send out 2-3 emails a week, so I won’t inundate your inbox…believe me, I’m sensitive to an overflowing email inbox!
By subscribing to Nourish and Nestle, we will only use your email address to send you emails (no more than 2-3 per week) that will keep you up to date with the latest news and content on the site. In addition, you will have access to my growing library of knit & crochet patterns, as well as other printables. This library will continue to grow, so check back often.
(Just a reminder…when you do subscribe, you will receive a confirmation email that has a link you need to click on to be fully subscribed. If you don’t see this email, please check your spam/junk mail folder)
And please know that you can unsubscribe at any time by emailing me or clicking on the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of all of our emails.
You can access all the products I refer to in all of my posts on my Nourish and Nestle Amazon Page. You can access it here.
So, if you’d like to get in on the ‘subscriber benefit’ action, simply subscribe to Nourish and Nestle here or using the form on the right sidebar. It’s towards the top a bit. I have sent all my subscribers the link to the Subscriber Benefits Library. If you missed it or misplaced it, drop me a line.
Until next time…
Hugs,
Mmmm, your handmade pie looks delicious! I love blueberries and I don’t believe that I’ve ever had a Blueberry pie. I remember picking blackberries with my dad and he would make cobbler and my mom and I would make jam.
Linda…I’m shocked! Never had a blueberry pie? You need to hightail it to my home this very minute and I’ll whip you up a blueberry hand pie. But…once you’ve had one, you’ll be hooked. I love the image of picking blackberries with your dad and then him making the cobbler…just really lovely. And honestly, not sure I’ve made blackberry jam before…guess I need to put that on my to-do list.
Wishes for a wonderful week.
Hugs, LYnn
Blueberry Hand Pies! They look delicious! I recently made Blueberry Chia Jam 🙂 Wonderful photo’s too!
These look delicious and easy – I plan to make some next weekend. Thanks to your son for all of the taste testing 🙂
Thanks Laura…yup, he is a real trooper…right up there with Jonas Salk in terms of making a sacrifice for the sake of humanity! I hope you enjoy them as much as we did…they are deliciously yummy!
Thanks for stopping by today and wishing you a wonderful weekend.
Hugs, Lynn
Oh yum! I’ve never seen blueberry hand pie – I’ll have to try this! Looks so delicious!
Oh Liz…you don’t know what you’re missing! I hope you enjoy this treats as much as we do. They are perfect for the upcoming holidays.
Thanks for swinging by.
Hugs, LYnn
Oh, what a lovely post Lynn! I could read it over and over! Also because those pie pictures look so so good! We used to go blueberry pickin in Canada, I love it, a great summer thingy. Here however, blueberries are so darn expensive, it would cost me probably 27 euros or so to make a pie. Shame. But now that I can make these little hand pies, my dilemma is solved! Perfect! I love finger food, and these remind me of argentinian empanadas [my hybby was born there so he makes lots of goodies from there], the shape, but they aren’t sweet. except I’m a blueberry lover as well, so this will be my summer snack! Also great to take to the beach! It’s awesome that you had a taster there with you!
Hi Katrin, I would think they are very similar to empanadas…which I do love as well though I’ve never made them. I’m really sorry that you don’t have accessible blueberries…is it just too hot for them to grow there? I’d imagine that they would need at least a little winter. You might have to consider relocating to somewhere where you do have access to these yummies…just like i may need to relocate to somewhere where I would have access to an IKEA store! Thanks for swinging by my friend. Wishing you a fantastic week. Hugs, Lynn
Lynn, these little blueberry pies looks so super tasty and delicious! Such a perfect treat for Summer! Congrats to you and your son – I’m sure all that tasting wasn’t hard to do:):) Yum!
Hi Ilka…if you think they look good, you should taste them! YUM! We have a good stash of frozen ones in the freezer to bring out for those special desserts. Thanks for visiting today. I always love hearing from you.
Hugs, Lynn
Do you deliver? These look so, so good! It’s almost blueberry season here, and (while I’m biased), I think blueberries just over the border in Maine are the most delicious ones you can find. I bet they’d be perfect in these!
Hi Jessica, I’d have to agree with you about Maine berries…have you been able to pick them yet? I know this recipe is not gluten free, and I have a few exceptions to my normally gluten free diet and these hand pies are on that list. I’m sure you can whip up a gluten free crust so that you can eat them.
Thanks for visiting today.
Hugs, Lynn
How lucky of you to have such a selfless taste tester. I will have to try the egg white trick. Maybe that is what I need to get mine nice and crisp.
Aren’t I lucky Brianna…16-year sons do come in handy from time to time. And I hope the egg white trick works for you. Thanks for visiting today Brianna and wishing you a wonderful week.
Hugs, LYnn
Wow this looks amazing and perfect for the summer! I have never made hand pie’s before but I think my little chap would love these too!
Hi Charlotte…I know your little man would love these, and you could use many different fillings. I hope you and your guys enjoy them.
Thanks for swinging by.
Hugs, Lynn
This is such a smart way to preserve your blueberries and it looks very tasty too! Make ahead baked goods are the best!
Hi Gina…there are no bad ways to eat blueberries..right? And how handy to have a stash of goodies that just need to be baked when needed. Makes me sleep better at night knowing that they are in there! ? Thanks for coming by and hope you have a great week.
Hugs ,Lynn
I absolutely love blueberries. I’m a total sweet head too, and this looks like the perfect dessert for summer. Not too heavy and super refreshing. <3
Hey Lindsey…I could go years without eating some sweets (like most candy and ice cream) but I am a sucker for fruit pies and hand pies. I could eat apple, cherry, blueberry pies all day, every day. Thanks for swinging by my friend.
Hugs, Lynn