Is it bad when your laziness is the inspiration for a recipe?
My husband has been after me to make my Strawberry Hand Pies again. The last crumb of those wasn’t even gone and he was already putting in his request. That made me happy because I knew I had a real winner of a recipe.
Here’s the clincher… Even though the strawberry hand pies are crazy delicious, they are a pain in the butt to make… at least for me. The steps are actually quite easy, but the perfectionist in me takes it to a whole other level (and not a good one). Here enters angry Tina and her need for perfect pastry lines. Yeah, it’s not pretty.
How could I refuse my hubby’s request though? I couldn’t. Except I did. For over a year. Seriously, they are a lot of work! I decided to bite the bullet and make hand pies again. Then a light bulb came on. What if I make one giant hand pie? Well, then technically it’s not a hand pie unless you’re 10 feet tall or possibly a professional basketball player. However, it would definitely make the process much easier. I gave it a go and this blueberry monster hand pie is what I ended up with. As it turns out, one giant pie is definitely easier than making nine individual hand pies and there are way fewer fork lines to worry over.
This crust… it’s SO flaky and delicious that it’s borderline ridiculous. Remember that this is meant to be a pie that looks more like a Toaster Strudel than a pie that you would make at Thanksgiving. (My husband points out that a pie you made for Thanksgiving but dropped on the floor would be pretty similar looking.) That means that there is not a lot of filling going on here. That means these are for lovers of crust and the filling is more of a seasoning.
I’ve already proven that strawberries make for an amazing filling so feel free to swap out the blueberries for them if you like. I wanted to try something different so I went the blueberry route today. Yum, yum.
I’ve still got my boo’s Cinnamon Rolls on the brain, so I adapted his maple glaze recipe to make this giant hand pie even more sweet and tasty. You don’t strictly need it, but when has glaze ever been a necessity? You can drizzle it over the entire giant pie before you cut into it or on one piece at a time or simply dunk the pie sideways into a bowl of the stuff. I added more to my piece after I was done photographing this one because I wanted the picture to have a glaze amount that was way more “dainty” looking than I actually wanted to eat. 😉
Giant Blueberry Hand Pie Recipe
(About 9 servings)
Note: This recipe requires 1 hour of chilling time.
Ingredients for the Pastry:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (equivalent to 8.6 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, cold (equivalent to 2 sticks)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 large egg, beaten (for brushing on top of the hand pies)
Ingredients for the Filling:
- 1 and 1/2 cups blueberries
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Ingredients for the Glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon real maple syrup
- 1/2 tablespoon very hot water
Directions for the Pastry:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Cut the cold butter into several chunks.
- Using a pastry blender or your fingers, add the chunks of butter to the dry ingredients and combine until the mixture resembles course crumbs.
- Mix in the egg and milk until combined.
- Divide the dough in half.
- Lightly flour your working surface and shape each half of the dough into 3 inch x 5 inch rectangles.
- Wrap them each in plastic wrap and chill them for 1 hour.
Directions for the Filling:
- In a medium sauce pan, on Medium heat, mix together the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice.
- Cook until the mixture starts to thicken. (For me, it was about 5 minutes.)
- Using a pastry blender or fork, mash the blueberries until you get the consistency you desire. (The blueberries can be chunky or smooth, whatever you prefer.)
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and let it cool to room temperature.
Directions for Assembling the Hand Pies:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set it aside.
- Lightly flour your working surface.
- Take one of the rectangle shaped dough pieces and roll it out to a 9 inch x 12 inch rectangle.
- Trim the edges to make them even and straight.
- Move the piece to the prepared baking pan.
- Place the filling in the middle.
- Brush some of the beaten egg along the edges.
- Take the remaining rectangle shaped dough piece and roll it out to a 9 inch x 12 inch rectangle.
- Place the rolled out dough on top of the filling.
- Using a fork, press the edges together to create a tight seal.
- Gently cut a vent on the top. (I used 6 slits in the middle of the pie.)
- Brush the top of the pie with the beaten egg.
- Bake it in the preheated oven for about 32 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- Let it cool completely. This is important because you want the filling to set before you cut into it.
- Drizzle the maple glaze on top of the cooled pie.
Directions for the Maple Glaze:
- Put the powdered sugar into a medium bowl.
- Add the maple syrup but don’t stir yet.
- Add the very hot water.
- Whisk until smooth.
Adapted from: King Arthur Flour
Here are some other pretty pastry recipes.
haha the perfectionist in me takes too many things to a crazy level!! Love this giant hand pie! Have a great weekend!
Hehe. 🙂
I can see why those hand pies were such a hit, lol! This looks like a terrific idea instead of making a dozen little pies 🙂
Glad you approve! 🙂
This is genius Tina! Making individual-sized things are cute for a crowd on occasion but I tend to get aggravated if they’re not perfect. Plus it takes up more time! I can definitely see myself making this giant hand pie!!
I hear ya! I’m even brainstorming how to turn this giant deal into a savory dish to cut the pieces even smaller for appetizers. The wheels are turning. 😉
Lovely! I’ve gotta try my hands at hand pies 🙂
Medha, you would love them! 🙂
Oooh wow this looks awesome! Haha, lazy recipes are sometimes the best
Thank you, my friend! 🙂
Since my move to North Carolina I have been feeling hella lazy and I’m a TOTAL lover of crust, so these monster hand pies are right up my alley! In fact, I’m pretty sure I saw my name written in glaze on one of these! ; ) Love the blueberry filling, that purple color alone is so gorgeous! These are terrific, Tina! If this is what lazy inspires in you, you should come hang around me! But I call first grub dibs on whatever you make! Lol. Cheers, girlfriend!
I would LOVE to hang you with you, my friend! I hope you have a smooth transition starting your new life in North Carolina!
GORGEOUS hand pies, Tina! The crust looks incredible. Heck, I could eat the crust by itself! <3
Thank you so much!