What's For Dessert: Wild Blackberry Hand Pies

The other day, D asked if I'd like to go for a hike, and I said 'sure!' Now, my idea of a hike typically involves some sort of walk through the woods on a marked trail. D's version of a hike involves pulling the car off on the side of the road and wandering into the (public) woods. These adventures typically involve a lot of bushwhacking. We usually bring the dog along on these forays into the forest, and Leroy just loves it -- his tail wags nonstop as he hops from one rock to another and bounds through the grasses that reach past the top of this head. I, on the other hand, find myself clawing my way through the deep grasses, trying to avoid losing an eye to one of the branches whipping into my face, and extracting myself from the brambles as the forest tries to claim me as one of its own.

I may or may not have been the happiest camper during our latest backwoods adventure. That is, until I discovered we were walking through the motherlode of wild blackberry plants. Those very plants that were clawing at my body and snagging my jeans were also heavily laden with fruit. 

Being the resourceful outdoorswoman that I am (ha ha!), I pawed through the satchel I was carrying  and extracted a sandwich bag, into which we could harvest some of the delicious wild blackberries that surrounded us. It didn't take us very long to fill the bag nearly to the brim with foraged berries.

 I knew as soon as I got home that I'd have to make us some sort of tasty treat with these little freshly-picked fruits. I ended up making a batch of wild blackberry hand pies, and they turned out quite deliciously. Though pastry dough still gives me trouble here and there, this dough (after a bit of finagling) turned into a super-flaky shell for the sweet and tart blackberry filling. Add a little scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on the side, and you've got a rustic-turned-elegant dessert on your hands, ready to share.

Wild Blackberry Hand Pies (printer-friendly version)
makes 8 hand pies

Pastry dough:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon unsalted baking powder
1 cup (16 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup cold Greek yogurt (I used Chobani 0%)
3 tablespoons cold organic skim milk (if necessary)

Filling:
2 cups blackberries, fresh
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon tapioca granules
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 large egg, beaten
white sparkling/sanding sugar

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the cold butter cubes, and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles small peas. 

2. Stir the yogurt into the dough mixture. If the dough still seems too dry, stir in the skim milk. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until it comes together. Pat into a log shape, then roll out into an 8"x10" rectangle. Fold it into three, then flip the dough over. Turn the rectangle by 90 degrees, and roll out again into another 8"x10" rectangle. Fold in three a second time. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

3. While the dough is chilling, make the blackberry filling. In a small sauce pot, combine the blackberries, sugar, tapioca granules, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens, 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. 

4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Set aside.

5. Roll the dough into a large rectangle or oval; the dough should be quite thin, about 1/8" thick. Use a 3-inch round (or square) cookie cutter to cut out 16 circles. Crack an egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork. Brush the egg wash across 8 of the circles. Place about 1 tablespoon of blackberry filling into the center of each egg-wash-covered circle. 

6. Use a decorative cutter (I used a small leaf shape) to cut a vent in the center of each of the remaining eight circles. Top each filled circle with a vented circle. Use a fork or your fingers (or both!) to crimp along the edges of each circle to seal it completely. Brush the top of each hand pie with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle generously with sanding sugar.

7. Bake the pies in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for at least 20 minutes on a wire rack before serving. Any leftover pies can be refrigerated or frozen (wrap first in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer bag) for longer storage.

(adapted from this King Arthur flour recipe)