Oregon Berry Hand Pies

Oregon Berry Hand Pies

pie crust

  • 6 oz (1 cup) all purpose flour
  • 3 oz (6 Tbsp.) butter, chilled
  • 1 oz (2 Tbsp.) shortening, chilled
  • heavy pinch kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup ice water
  1. Add the flour, butter and shortening to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until mealy. Add 2 Tbsp. water and pulse a couple more times, adding water in increments of a teaspoon or so until the dough stays together when pinched. Dump the bowl out onto a workspace and shape into a disk, then wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.

    filling

    • 11/2 cup berries, fresh or thawed, previously frozen
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 2 tsp cornstarch
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tbsp water
    1. Stir berries, sugar and cornstarch together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Use a potato masher or similar tool to smash the berries together and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook at a simmer for 5 minutes, then kill the heat and allow to cool.
    2. Preheat the oven to 425. When the pie crust has properly chilled, roll it out to about a 1/8 inch thickness and cut into four long rectangles, each about 4 inches by 12 inches. You will be folding these long strips in half, so make note of the approximate midline of the first pastry, then spoon about 2 Tbsp. of the berry filling into the center of one side of long rectangle. Fold the other half of the pastry closed to make a final size of about 4 inches by 6 inches. Press with your fingers to seal around the edges, then use a fork to seal it very tightly. Repeat for the other pastries.
    3. Use a fork to mix up the egg and water, then brush the pastries liberally with the egg wash and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool before eating.

    NOTE: If you like, you can make a glaze. Smoosh more berries until they release about two tablespoons of juice. Strain the juice using a cocktail strainer, then use a fork to stir in 3-4 Tbsp. powdered sugar until smooth. The glaze should be thick enough to not be runny, but thin enough to drizzle. You can drizzle with a spoon, but I prefer to put the glaze in a zip top back, snip off a tiny piece of a corner and use it as a low-fi pastry bag.

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