I have loved hand pies (and, let’s face it, ALL pie) since I can remember. As a kid, I only knew about the hand pies you could get next to the cookies and snack cakes…
Fortunately, I have come a long way since, and these blueberry lavender hand pies not only rock your taste buds but are classy enough for a dinner party too!
In my first rendition of the pies, I really reduced the sugar, and while I am sure that it was a lot healthier, certain taste testers (Emily) found that their jaw was locked from the tartness of the filling.
I added the sugar back into the crust and upped it in the recipe, which seemed to be the “sweet” spot. If your first batch is too tart, you can always add a sugar glaze to the top of the pies, which seems to balance it out. I found, either way, the pies didn’t last through the afternoon!
The trickiest part of making hand pies is finding a way to fill the small crust with enough filling to have the right ratios of crust to filling and not have it leak all over the place.
While working on this recipe, I went for my afternoon espresso. I realized the espresso cup saucer was just the right size for filling and had a convenient dip in the middle that would keep the sauce and berries in while I crimped the edges. Placing a paper towel over the plate made it easy to get the dough back off the plate and absorbed the extra egg wash. It worked perfectly!
Emily and I toyed with which essential oil to add to the blueberry filling and settled on lavender since the floral notes play so nicely with berries. I added the essential oil to the filling and did a lavender bud/sugar sprinkle to garnish the crust. I used fresh lavender from our garden, picked all of the little dried flowers out by hand, and then stripped the buds off.
Turns out that if I had picked them the day before, the flowers would have fallen out by themselves, and my task would have been much easier.
-Do note that the little dried flowers will be all over the counter if you leave the extra lavender sitting out overnight.
I wanted to get that golden crust on my pies, so I left them in for a little bit longer than other recipes called for. I found that this also contributed to the filling being cooked all the way and having a perfect, jelled texture.
It also led to the pies overflowing a bit out of the vent holes I cut, adding to the rustic look. They still came out perfectly flakey with the full butter crust and didn’t dry out at all.
I made quite a bit of extra filling and crust so I could have enough for the photo shoot; this same amount is just right for making a full pie as well. The cooking took quite a bit longer, and ensuring that the filling in the middle gets cooked all the way (or it will leak all over your beautiful lattice when you drive it to the dinner party) was important.
After about 20 minutes, add a crust protector or tin foil and let it cook for about 30 minutes more. In either format, these pies were an absolute hit!
Blueberry Lavender Hand Pies
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 drops lemon essential oil*
- 3 drops lavender essential oil*
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
- 2 tablespoons lavender buds
Buttery Pie Crust
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup very cold butter, cubed
- 4-8 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
Buttery Pie Crust
- Cut both cubes of butter into small cubes and place them back in the fridge to keep chilled.
- mix the flour, salt, and sugar in a large, deep bowl. Whisk until evenly incorporated.
- Add the butter cubes to the flour mixture and knead very quickly with your fists to incorporate the butter. Continue kneading until it becomes a cornmeal like texture and the butter is evenly incorporated. If desired, a pastry blender may be used.
- Slowly add the ice water, 2 tablespoons at a time, to the mixture until clumps form. Press the mixture together into a soft ball.
- Cover and place in the fridge for at least one hour before use.
Hand Pies
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or silicone tray liner and set aside.
- Lightly flour a pastry mat or smooth work surface with flour and roll crust to 1/4 inch thickness. Using a 4 inch round cutter, cut as many circles as possible. Gather the leftover crust and roll out/cut again. Use the cutter to form any remaining scraps into circles without rolling them again to avoid toughening the dough.
- In a mixing bowl, combine blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch, and essential oils. Mix well. Spoon the filling into the center of a pie crust circle leaving about 1/2 inch around the perimeter of the circle.
- Whisk the egg and milk together in a small bowl until well combined. Brush the perimeters of the filled crust circle with the egg wash and place a second circle on top. Gently use a fork to crimp the edges of the pie crust closed. If pressed too hard the fork will rip the edge of the crust and your filling will leak out. Cut a few slits in the top of the pie with a paring knife to allow steam to escape.
- Cut a few slits in the top of the pie with a paring knife to allow steam to escape.
- Repeat filling steps for all pie crust circles. Place finished pies, spaced apart, on the lined baking sheet.
- In a mortar and pestle combine lavender buds and turbinado sugar and grind into a finer mixture. Brush the tops of the pies with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar/lavender mixture.
- Bake pies for 17-19 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Enjoy warm or let cool, if any make it that far.
