Blueberry Hand Pies

Each Person Gets Their Own

Recipe adapted from Yankee Magazine

June, one of my favorite months! Heralding the late spring turning into summer, the end of the school year, the beginning of seasonal swimming. And, my birthday! This year, instead of the usual bakery cake, I decided to make my own. Not a cake. Instead, blueberry hand pies—flaky pastry being much more delicious than most cakes IMHO. Found the recipe in a library while on vacation a few years back, and first prepared it in a motel room (with limited success). A burgeoning, bountiful blueberry crop at the farmers’ market inspired me to try again. A lot easier to make at home than in a motel room.

Easily Transported for Out of Town Birthdays

This recipe requires packaged puff pastry. I know, I know, a little outside my guidelines for this blog. But, it’s okay to cheat occasionally—like when making your own birthday treat. Plus preservative-free, all-natural puff pastry is available, much less work, and more predictably perfect than homemade.

 The original recipe seemed a bit off. Too much filling for the amount of pastry, with competing spices that overwhelmed the blueberry flavor. So I’ve reduced the total filling amount, eliminated the almond extract, and cut down on the lemon. Depending upon the size of your puff pastry pack, a bit of filling might still be left over.

This Won't Last Long

I rolled out the puff pastry slightly to accommodate more filling. Makes the pies bigger and more fruity. If you don’t feel like rolling, you can fill the pastry as it comes out of the box. Extra filling isn’t a problem. It’s yummy on lightly buttered toast, or mixed into yogurt or ice cream. It’s even good eaten warm with a spoon. I’ve done that. Maybe a little whipped cream on it?

Welcome to the golden days of summer. Kick back a bit and think vacation!

Fruity Golden Summery Treats

Blueberry Hand Pies

makes 6 pies

3 tbsp. cornstarch

1/3 cup water

2 cups fresh blueberries

1/8 cup sugar
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

½ tsp. lemon zest

2 dashes salt

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 package puff pastry (~1 lb. with 2 sheets)

1 egg, beaten

2 – 3 tbsp. raw brown sugar for topping

Remove puff pastry from freezer and allow to thaw.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine blueberries, 1/8 cup sugar, lemon juice and zest and salt. Add cornstarch mixture.

Note: blueberries will stain wooden spoons. A medium metal serving spoon is a stain-free alternative. An apron or old shirt is also good practice.

Over medium heat, stirring constantly, heat mixture to a boil. This is the point where more than one or two bubbles appear on the surface at once.

Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Unfold puff pastry on flat surface and roll out the first sheet a bit if desired. Measure and cut sheet into 6 roughly equal rectangles. Transfer each to a flat baking sheet (without sides). Roll out second pastry sheet and cut into 6 rectangles to match the bottom rectangles.

Place about 3 tbsp. of the cooled blueberry mix in the middle of each pastry rectangle on the baking sheet. One at a time, moisten the edges of each rectangle, then top with a second pastry rectangle, stretching top rectangle slightly if needed. Use a fork to press edges together. Repeat for each of the 6 pastries.

Lightly brush tops of pastries with beaten egg. Cut 2 – 3 shallow diagonal lines on the top of each pastry. Sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake for 10 minutes 425 degrees F, or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for about 20 minutes before enjoying.

First Make the Filling

Spoon Filling onto Pastry

Add Top Pastry Layer and Seal

Brush with Egg and Sprinkle with Sugar

Voila! A Perfect Blueberry Hand Pie