These Blueberry Bourbon Hand Pies are so easy and a total showstopper! You have to try them this Summer!
Hello and Happy (almost) 4th of July!!!
It’s been SO hot here this week… but I couldn’t resist turning on the oven and baking these darling little blueberry bourbon hand pies! They’re way easier than baking an entire pie (although my homemade blueberry pie is delicious if that’s your thing) and PERFECT for parties. Because everyone knows that handheld desserts go way faster than something that needs to be sliced. But if you do plan on serving these to a crowd, I definitely recommend making a double or triple batch! Because the recipe only yields 8 pies… and I’ve seem some guests eat 2 or even 3 in one sitting. Oh, and if you want to be extra, serve them with ice cream 😉
Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success:
- You can use any brand of bourbon you want. We use bulleit because it’s what we usually have on our bar cart.
- Because it needs to chill, you should make the crust first! And be sure to plan ahead time wise. The good news is this crust can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge until needed.
- Be sure to let the blueberry filling cool down a little before adding it to the crust. It doesn’t need to be cold, but should be around room temperature. Hot filling will melt the butter in the pie dough, which will result in a less flaky and possibly soggy crust.
- You may use fresh or frozen blueberries for this recipe. If using frozen, no need to thaw them first.
- When it comes to the shape of your pie, you have options! If you want them star shaped (or any shape, really), use a cookie cutter. If you’d like your pies to be square, you can use a pizza wheel to slice the dough into rectangles. I’ve included full instructions for both methods in the recipe box below.
- No matter how you shape your blueberry bourbon hand pies, be sure not to overfill them. You really only want to add a hearty tablespoon or two (depending on the size of your pies) of filling to each pie. Too much filling will result in soggy hand pies.
Boozy, fruity, flavorful, and flaky… these blueberry bourbon hand pies truly have it all! Wishing you a safe and happy 4th of July 🙂 I’ll see you next week with CAKE.
Blueberry Bourbon Hand Pies
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ans 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 sticks (8 ounces) VERY cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup cold FULL FAT sour cream
For the Blueberry Bourbon Filling:
- 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
For the Topping:
- 1 large egg, beaten
- Turbinado sugar, optional
Instructions
To make the Crust:
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar.
- Add the butter, working it in with your two forks or a pastry cutter, until it's a coarse meal. The butter should still be in large, pea-sized pieces.
- Using a rubber spatula, stir in the sour cream. The dough will be very shaggy at this point. Turn it out onto a well floured work surface, and bring it together with a few quick kneads.
- Pat the dough into a 10 inch log, then roll it out into a 10" x 12" rectangle. Dust both sides of the dough lightly with flour, and starting with the shorter end, fold it in three - like a letter. Flip the dough over, and roll it again into a 10" x 12" rectangle. Fold it in three again. Wrap the dough in saran wrap, and chill for 1 hour.
To make the Blueberry Bourbon Filling:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium-heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture starts to thicken and coats the back of a spoon, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the blueberry filling to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
Assembly and Baking:
- Preheat the oven to 425°(F). place a rack on the middle shelf. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough into a large square, about 16" x 16".
- For square pies, use a pastry wheel or pizza cutter to cut out sixteen even squares. For shaped pies, use a large cookie cutter to cut out an even amount of shapes (the amount of pies you will get will depend on the size of your cookie cutter).
- Divide the filling among eight of the squares (or half of the cutouts), using about two tablespoons for each.
- Brush a little bit of the beaten egg wash along the edges of each filled square.
- Using a small knife - or small cookie cutter - cut a vent into each of the remaining squares.
- Top each filled square with a vented square, and press along the edges with a fork or a pie crust crimper. Make sure the edges are sealed well!
- Brush the top of each pie with the remaining beaten egg, and sprinkle with sugar, if using.
- Transfer the pies to prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the pies for 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and let cool for 20 minutes before serving.
Denise says
These look fantastic! Can I freeze them?
Ashley Manila says
Hi Denise. Yes, these freeze great for up to 2 months!
Jill says
Making thisnon the weekend and am excited. 2 queations…can you use a food processor for the dough and can you make filling ahead too. Love your recipes. Thank you. J