HOW TO MAKE BLUEBERRY MINI PIES FROM SCRATCH

Blueberry Mini Pies are the epitome of summer.  Ripe, juicy blueberries fill delicious buttery dough for the perfect hand-held pie.  Perfect for lunch bags, afternoon treats or beach day picnics, these mini pies are small enough for little hands and great portion control for big hands.

BLUEBERRY MINI PIES

Let me say that I did not grow up in the land of humidity. Making good pie crust in Florida can be challenging.  I thought it was just my own shortcoming until  a friend’s sister was lamenting about the fact that she has tried on several occasions to make pie crust here and finds it impossible.  I must tell you, I exhaled a sigh of relief to end all sighs.  Hearing from  people who also grew up in the north admit that they find making pie crust in the steamy heat of Florida to be a nightmare…  well, that made me feel so much better.

After quite a few trial and error sessions,  I’ve figured out the pie crust debacle.  When I was new to Florida, all things humidity-related really threw me for a loop.  Including the fact that my 5 pound bag of sugar was as solid as a brick. These are things one doesn’t encounter much up north.

Ingredients
For the Filling

• 4 cups blueberries
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp. water
• 3 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. lemon zest freshly grated
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp. salt

For the crust

• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 470 grams
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest fresh
• 12 ounces unsalted butter very cold and cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

For the Egg Wash

• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water.

Instructions
Make the dough

• Whisk together flour, zest, sugar and salt in the bottom of a large bowl.
• Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until the biggest pieces of butter are the size of tiny peas.
• Gently stir in 3/4 cup buttermilk with a rubber spatula, mixing it until a bit of a mass forms, then knead it two or three times to form a ball.
• If it doesn’t come together, add remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does, then gently knead again. (I had to add all of the remaining 1/4 cup)
• Divide dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and flatten into a disc. Chill in fridge for at least an hour or up to two days.

Make the filling

• Taste a few blueberries: If they are sweet, use closer to 1/2 cup sugar. If they are not, you may need up to 3/4 cup of sugar.
• Combine about a third of the blueberries with the sugar in a medium saucepot. Simmer on low heat until sugar has melted and berries begin to burst. Stir occasionally. This will take about 5 - 7 minutes.
• Combine cornstarch and water in a (very) small bowl. Once blueberries have begun to burst and sugar is melted, smash any remaining berries to a pulp and add the cornstarch mixture to the pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it has thickened.
• Add the remaining ingredients and cook for another 30 - 45 seconds. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Assembly Line

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Generously flour the counter top, then unwrap one of your disks of dough. Gently begin rolling it out, starting from the center and pushing outward. The dough will be pretty firm when you begin, so be patient, but it will warm quickly... so not too patient!
• Keep rolling from the center out, turning the dough as you go, until it is about 1/8 inch thick. If the butter in the dough begins to get too warm and it starts to stick to the pin or gets goopy, slide it onto a baking sheet and put it in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up again.
• Once dough is rolled out, cut out with a 2 1/2 - 3 inch cutter (whatever shape you have) or use a knife and cut into squares.
• Prepare egg wash, get out the pastry brush & set aside.
• Lightly brush half of your circles or squares with the egg wash, taking care to get the edges, cut vents in the center of the other half of your circles/squares.
• Place 1 rounded teaspoon of filling in the center of the egg washed halves and top with the vented pieces. (don't overfill!) Seal with your fingertips or press with a fork along the edges.
• Brush with the egg wash on top and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Chill in refrigerator before baking if dough begins to get mushy. Repeat with remaining disk of dough, filling, etc.
• Place on baking sheet 1 - 2 inches apart and bake for 15 - 18 minutes until golden and puffed.
• Eat. Repeat.

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