Blackberry Hand Pies
These blackberry hand pies combine flaky pastry and sweet and juicy blackberry filling.
Ingredients
Pastry
- 312 g all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 225 g butter cold
- 120 g natural yogurt cold (see notes for substitutions)
- Ice-water as needed
Filling
- 340 g blackberries fresh or frozen
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Topping
- Large egg + 1 Tablespoon water whisked
- Coarse sugar
Instructions
Pastry
- Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor. Add the cold butter cubes to the flour and use a pastry cutter or pulse the food processor to cut the butter into small pieces until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter in there too. 312 g all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, ¾ teaspoon salt, 225 g butter
- Add the yogurt to the bowl and stir until the dough comes together. Use a fork or your hands to combine the dough into a shaggy ball, and add in as much chilled water as needed, ½ a tablespoon at a time. It should hold together easily when pressed but not be sticky. If the dough is crumbly, add a bit more water. If the butter has softened or the dough is warm, place it in the fridge for 30 minutes before continuing with the next step. 120 g natural yogurt, Ice-water as needed
- Roll the dough into a 10-inch/25cm rectangle on a floured surface, fold it into thirds like a pamphlet, and turn it a quarter turn. Repeat this roll and fold process once more. Cut the dough into two pieces and gently shape each into a round.
- Wrap the dough rounds in cling film and chill them in the fridge for around 2 hours or overnight.
Filling
- Add the blackberries, cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice, and salt to a medium saucepan over low heat. Keep stirring until they begin to break down. 340 g blackberries, 50 g granulated sugar, 1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 Tablespoon lemon zest, 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Once they have broken down more and released their juices, turn the heat to medium and let the mixture come to a boil. Once boiling, boil for around 2 minutes, stirring the whole time. It will thicken and become jelly-like.
- Remove it from the heat, scrape it into a bowl, and let it cool to room temperature. Cover it and place it in the fridge until it's needed. It's much easier to fill the pies when the filling is cold.
Assembling
- Roll half the refrigerated pie dough on a lightly floured surface until it's about 1/4 inch (6mm) thick. Cut out pastry rounds using a 3-inch/7.5cm round cookie cutter. You can reuse the dough scraps left after cutting to roll more rounds. When rolling the scraps, stack the scraps on each other to keep the layers, then roll them out again.
- Brush the edge of a dough round with egg wash. Place a heaped tablespoon of the cold blackberry mixture into the center, then cover with another dough round. Crimp the edges of the pie dough with the tines of a fork.
- Refrigerate the little hand pies once they are assembled. Repeat the process with the second dough portion.
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the pies with egg wash, then cut 2-3 little slits using a sharp knife in the top to allow steam to escape. Sprinkle coarse sugar on top of each pie. Place them onto the lined baking sheet. I bake the pies in batches. Large egg + 1 Tablespoon water, Coarse sugar
- Bake the pies for 20-24 minutes until deep golden brown. Let them cool to room temperature or slightly warm before serving.
Notes
*The yogurt can be substituted with sour cream or buttermilk, or use more ice-water and add 1 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1pieCalories: 213kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 208mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!