Category: Food & Cooking

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, paddle together the flour, sugar, and salt for 10 to 15 seconds. Cut the butter into about 12 pieces and add it to the flour mixture. Paddle slowly until the flour is no longer bright white and the mixture holds together when you clump it, and there are still lumps of butter the size of pecans throughout…30-45 seconds.
• Whisk together the egg yolk and milk in a small bowl and add them all at once to the flour-butter mixture. Paddle very briefly, just until it barely comes together, about 30 seconds it will look really shaggy and more like a mess than a dough.
• Dump the dough out into a clean work surface and gather it together into a tight mound. Using the heel of your hand, smear the dough starting at the top of the mound and sliding your hand down the sides of the mound along the work surface, until most of the butter chunks are smeared into the dough and the whole thing comes together. (The technique is called fraisage, and makes for a very flaky pie dough.)
• Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and press down to make a disk about 1 inch thick. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.
• The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 weeks. Wrap in another layer of plastic if storing for more than 1 day

for Blueberry filling

• In a  saucepan, combine about ¾ of the blueberries, the superfine sugar, cornstarch, and salt, and stir together with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Turn the heat on medium high and stir occasionally, until the blueberries start to soften and let out juice. Bring the mixture just to a boil, then remove from heat. Add the remaining blueberries and the lemon zest and stir to combine. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

For Apple Filling

• Peel, core and slice apples into small bite size pieces. Add brown sugar, flour and seasonings and stir. Allow to macerate (soften) for ½ hour.

Basic Hand Pie

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees and place a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Remove the pate brisee from the fridge about 15 minutes before using it to soften slightly.
• Generously flick flour over the work surface. Portion out 6 individual pieces of the dough and roll each one out in a circle 1/8 inch thick. Dock the dough all over with a fork. Lay the circles on parchment paper. Whisk the egg for the egg wash in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash over the perimeter of one circle. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of the fruit filling in the middle of the circle. Carefully fold the circle over the filling to make a half-moon keeping the filling inside and press firmly around the edge of the circle to seal. Repeat to fill the remaining circles.
• Freezing Hand Pies: At this point you can freeze the hand pies on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer them to an airtight container, and store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. When you are ready to bake the pies, remove them from the freezer and bake as instructed, adding up to 5 minutes to the baking time.
• Brush the tops of the hand pies with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle them evenly with the sanding sugar. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, rotating the baking sheet midway through the baking time, until the pies are evenly golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• Hand pies should be enjoyed the same day they are baked, but they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature overnight. If you are serving them the next day, refresh them in a 300 degree oven for about 8 minutes.