I've been anxiously awaiting this challenge. I didn't dare make the whole recipe because I know I'd plow through all 8 pies in about two days. I halved it, but in order to roll out a reasonable shape (7" x 14" would be difficult) I ended up with 3 pies instead of 4.
I decided to play with the filling a little. One of the things I really like about blueberries is their "cool" taste, which is why I'm not big on pairing them with lemon, a common partner but a very "warm" and bright taste. So I got onto the Food Pairing web site and found that blueberries supposedly pair well with a number of interesting flavors. Seeking to retain the coolness, I chose cardamon and fresh thyme and I'm really happy with the results. The filling has a very earthy, woodsy taste -- exactly what I was looking for.
Some people on the KA site complained that there wasn't enough filling and that what was there bubbled over. I ended up with too much filling, and it didn't spill out at all. I used corn starch instead of the ClearJel, and my berries were somewhat dry, so maybe that made the difference. I thought the filling texture turned out perfectly.
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| Awaiting trial by fire. |
For the pastry, I substituted full-fat Greek-style yogurt for the sour cream (because I had it) -- it worked fine, I think. The pastry could have been a little more flaky, but we've having a heat wave and it was SO hot in the kitchen while I was rolling it out; I think it melted all the butter into the flour. It was still good and nicely crisp on the outside. I would have liked just a little more salt in it, I think. (Always with the salt -- too much, too little...)
Conclusion: These were very good, but a little fussy, and I'm not sure worth the extra effort. I'd be just as happy with simple turnovers made with standard pie crust, although these are a little more festive and might be nice for a special occasion. (They're also a lot more rich, since they use sour cream instead of ice water.)
Recipe: Blueberry Hand Pies via King Arthur Flour
