Blueberry Hand Pies

The other day at the store I saw a huge sale for blueberries. I got so excited so I bought a few pints. The first treat that I decided to make were these blueberry hand pies. I've literally NEVER made a pie before. I've been reading that pie crust is difficult to work with and takes a lot of time. But I decided to give it a go anyways and I'm so glad I did. I think I'll start making pie crust in large batches and then freeze it for a "quick" pie. These hand pies were the perfect dessert for a summer night. My friends and I went to the terrace at union at school which is just a place by the lake that has live music and tables to hang out. We were playing cards, drinking beer and having a good time. I brought along these hand pies and they were perfect. No need for a fork or plate! I can't wait to make more! For now, I posted a link to the pie crust recipe that I used but I'll have a post soon on pie crust when I have tried it again and have a good handle on it. 

Ingredients:

1 recipe for 9-inch pie crust dough (I used this recipe from Simply Recipes)

1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 cups (1 pint) fresh blueberries
pinch of salt
1 egg yolk


Directions:
Chill the pie dough for at least an hour before making hand pies.

In a small bowl, stir together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Pour the blueberries into a separate bowl. Coat the blueberries with the lemon juice. Stir in the sugar mixture until the blueberries are completely coated.

After the pie dough is chilled, roll it out to a 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out circles with a 5-6 inch diameter. Add 1-2 tbsp of blueberry filling to the center of the dough. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk with 2 tbsp of water. Brush egg wash on the edge of the dough circles to create a seal. Fold dough circle in half and crimp the edges with a fork. Chill filled circles for half and hour before baking. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove pies from the refrigerator and brush tops with egg wash. Cut a small slit in the top of each pie and bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let cool completely before serving.

Source: Recipe from The Pastry Affair