A Brief, Sweet Update

Hello, followers!

As you can tell, my maintenance of this blog has been severely lacking. Daniel and I have had a lot going on this year! We recently left our jobs as General Manager and Chef of Star Provisions in Midtown, Atlanta. We are currently working hard to boost business for Sweets By Skip. Please recommend us to all of your friends for your cake, cookie, pie, and all other sweet needs!

For your patience, I have a quick, easy recipe for you!

Blueberry Hand Pies

Yields : 16 hand pies

Filling :

1 pound of blueberries, rinsed and de-stemmed

1/2 cup white sugar

1t cinnamon

1t salt

2T corn starch

1T water

Dough :

4 1/4c All Purpose Flour

2t salt

2t sugar

2c butter, cut into small cubes and cold

1/2c ice water

I like to cook the filling for these hand pies a day in advance so it is nice and chilled. I start by rinsing and de-stemming the blueberries, then I toss them in a pot with the sugar, cinnamon and salt. I allow them to cook on low heat until most of the berries have burst. Once the berries are ready, make a slurry by mixing your cornstarch and water together. Slowly add this to your berry mixture, while stirring to ensure proper mixing. Place the filling in a bowl, and place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate until cold.

For the dough, you're making a simple pie dough. Mix your flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add your butter cubes and rub them into the dry mixture until it becomes a shaggy dough. Gradually add your water, and knead to combine. I usually dump the dough out onto a floured surface, and continue to knead it until it's homogeneous. Press it into a rectangle shape, and then wrap in plastic wrap. Allow to chill and rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

When it is ready, place the dough on a floured surface, and roll until it is roughly 1/4" thick. Cut into 6.5" by 3" rectangles and set aside. You can roll this dough out one more time, if you would like to get a few extra hand pies out of it! Gently egg wash the edges of your rectangle pieces. Add roughly 2T of blueberry filling to one half of each rectangle, ensuring that it does not ooze over the sides of the dough. Gently fold the other half over on top of the filling, and press it closed with a fork. I usually press the fold with a fork as well, so it hides my method! Poke four sets of holes into the top of the hand pies, egg wash them, and coat them with turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw). Place on a sheet tray and freeze for one hour, prior to baking.

Preheat your oven to 375F. Place your hand pies on a metal sheet tray, and put them in the oven, directly from frozen. Bake roughly 26-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. I would recommend rotating the trays halfway, to ensure even baking. Allow to cool (if you can!) for a few minutes before serving.

These are a great sweet breakfast, or an easy dessert that will keep in your freezer for a long time. Once they are frozen solid, you may place them in a large freezer bag and pull them out as you need them!