My new favorite pie is the hand pie. In this case a berry fruit hand pie.
Really, aren't these just another name for a turnover? But hand pie sounds more romantic, more childlike, and aren't they something everyone would love?
The best thing, in my opinion, about berry hand pies is that you can eat more than one, because they aren't as big as a slice of a pie.
And of course you can always take one for later which isn't so easy with a slice of pie.
Berry Hand pies...
make me think of farmers markets and state fairs where the thought of being a pie judge must surely be a treat.
Pie makes me think of blue ribbons and flaky crusts which hand pies have plenty of.
Lovers of crust rejoice because these berry fruit hand pies give you a better ratio of crust to fruit. REALLY.
Which leads me to tell you that I really suck at pie crust.
I've tried food processor pie crusts, pastry blender pie crusts, vegetable shortening pie crusts, refrigerated pie crusts, oil pie crusts, butter pie crusts and frozen pie crusts.
I am never happy with my pie crust, though everyone always tells me how good it is.
I though, want a perfect, truck stop, pie crust. The flaky, thin, golden kind.
Kind of the way I'd like my body, well, except for the flaky part.
And how is it that every recipe for pie crust is always titled, "No Fail Pie Crust"? Isn't that automatically setting us up for failure?
Cream Cheese Pie Crust is a winner!
All right already. I resorted to cream cheese.
It works. I'm not telling you it's perfect, but I'm telling you it makes pie crust pretty, pretty easy.
And it is exceptional for repairs. I always need to repair my crust a lot.
But hand pies are easy to repair and besides a little juice seeping out makes them look pretty. Well, that's my opinion and I'm standing by it.
I used Martha Stewart's pie crust recipe. It works well for these.
The cream cheese gives the crust a salty, rich taste which balances the fruit filling. A winner in my book.
Plus, it's easy to roll out and only needs to chill about 30 minutes. She recommends a food processor.
I was lazy and did it by hand. I'll give you her version, but know that as long as you have a pastry blender, you can do it by hand.
I love pie, because I love crust. I love pie, and I love fruit fillings.
However there are certain pies I just don't like. I don't like lemon meringue. I don't like lemon and I don't like meringue. Double whammy. Horrors.
And I don't think I'm a big fan of cream pies. Never had a banana cream pie. Think I've had a coconut cream pie.
Of course I do like anything chocolate but don't put meringue on it.
I guess my favorite pies are fruit pies. Apple pie. Cherry pie. Peach pie. Those are my faves.
I adore key lime pie. Frozen. In a graham cracker crust.
Ice cream pies like Mud pie are definitely on my agenda, though I can't remember the last time I had one of those. I think my favorite part is the hot fudge on top.
Pie also makes me think of my mother and her neighbor friend who used to make apple pies in our kitchen every fall after purchasing a bushel of apples from the local farm stand.
They would bake pies and make apple sauce and share them between their freezers.
My mom's friend made the crust and my mom made the filling.
Guess what I never learned how to bake? Yeah, a pie crust. I never learned how to make fried chicken either, but that is another story.
Just know this...
There are some things a girl must know. A girl must know that her shoes and bag don't have to match.
A girl must know that navy and camel are now acceptable colors of nail polish and that glitter reigns.
A girl must know that you never cancel a hair or nail appointment.
A girl must know that you never say yes the first time you are asked on a date.
The proper response to said question is "Let me check my calendar", whereupon you immediately pull out your IPhone, check your calendar and then say, "It looks like I'm available."
A girl must also know how to make a pie crust, but then so should a boy, for that matter.
And why should one know this? Because pie is so real, so wholesome, and by God, so American!
So what's stopping you? Summer/spring is here. Berries are so now!
And remember anyone can make a cream cheese pie crust.
HOWEVER! I'm not ashamed to admit that the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust is pretty good, as is the frozen pie crust at Trader Joe's!
Which means anyone can bake these berry fruit hand pies! So get to it!
Want a few more hand pie ideas? Lemons for Lulu has some cute taco hand pies and Tricia at Saving Room for Dessert features peach hand pies which sound luscious!
A few more to try:
Triple Cherry Chocolate Skillet Pie
Grilled Fruit Pies in a Cornmeal Crust
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Recipe
Triple Berry Hand Pies
- Prep Time: 40 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 - 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 18 Hand Pies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Berry Hand Pies have a cream cheese crust and are filled with blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. These Triple Berry Hand Pies are made for crust lovers and berry lovers, but also are great filled with apples and cherries!! They are perfect for dessert and no need to stop at one!
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Pie Crust
8 T cold or frozen butter
4 oz cream cheese
¼ c heavy cream
1 ½ c flour plus 2 T
½ t salt
1 beaten egg
Berry Filling:
1 c blueberries
½ c raspberries
½ c blackberries (sliced if too big)
½ c brown or white sugar
3 T cornstarch
½ t cinnamon, ginger or cardamom
½ t vanilla
1 T lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Mix all together. Use 1 heaping tablespoon per hand pie.
Instructions
Cream Cheese Crust
Cut butter into small cubes. Process butter, cream cheese and cream in food processor until well blended. Add flour and salt and process until mixture forms a ball. Divide in two, flatten into discs and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
While the crust is chilling, mix up the filling in a large bowl.
Roll out each piece on a floured surface, one at a time, into squares about 12"x 12". Trim edges if needed. Cut in thirds. You should have 3 equal strips, but I am really bad about the equal part. Now you need to cut each strip into 3 squares. These are now ready to be filled with about 1 heaping tablespoon of filling.
Preheat oven to 375.
Place one heaping tablespoon in the middle of the corner of each square. Fold other corner over so the two straight sides meet. Fold in the straight corner and crimp into a half circle. Or shoot, just fold the dang things in half.
Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar. Poke a few holes for a vent and to get those juices flowing.
Chill before baking for about 30 minutes.
Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes. These are great with an ice cream cone in the other hand!
Notes
Thanks Martha Stewart for the crust!
sherry says
these look delightful abbe. i do love a delish little pie.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Because your little hand pies are so small, we can have at least 3 -right? Delicious way to celebrate the berry harvest.
Linger A Little, Kristy says
These hand pies are absolutely adorable and look scrumptious. There is nothing more satisfying in Summertime than a pie that is loaded fresh berries. But I am so with you about crusts. I am always fighting with mine. So what a great alternative. I'll definitely have to try it.
John / Kitchen Riffs says
Hand pies rock! Haven't made a batch in ages, and berries are overflowing the shelves in my grocery store, so good timing. 🙂 Thanks!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
I don't know why but I think of summer when I hear about hand pies...maybe because they are usually filled with summer berries like yours. 🙂 Nice job.
Amy (Savory Moments) says
These hand pies look delicious! Hand pies are such a fun treat. I'm a huge pie lover -- all pies! Fruit/creams/custards!
Holly | Beyond Kimchee says
I have to confess that I've never tried making pie crust with cream cheese. I am still afraid of trying but after reading your post, it might be worth trying. Your pie looks very flaky. Pie making is a work of art, I think. You have done a great job with this recipe. Thanks
Juliana says
I have never made hand pie, yours look so cute...and the thought of cream cheese crust with the gooey berry filling just make me want to try. ..and soon. Thanks for the recipe Abbe. Have a great rest of the week!
Holly says
I love your tips and things that a girl should know. You are right-- making pie is a must know for any girl or boy! These are perfect for summer picnics, they travel so much more easily than a whole pie.
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) says
These little hand pies are calling my name. I'd love to make them. My mom always made beautiful Crisco pie crusts and I learned butter pie crusts in Culinary School. I've learned to really enjoy making them. As good a cook as you are, I'm sure your pies are delicious.
Liz says
I'm with you about pie crust! I've tried so many recipes and still don't have a guaranteed successful recipe. Your hand pies look terrific and I'll definitely be trying your crust!
John / Kitchen Riffs says
Glad to see this recipe return! A goodie. But then I've always been a sucker for pie. And hand pies are great, because don't you want to say you ate an entire pie for dessert? 🙂
2 Sisters recipes says
We love berry pies and it’s on our list to make forever! Love the cream cheese crust idea! Can’t wait to make this - thanks Abbe! Hope you had a wonderful holiday!
Abbe Odenwalder says
Rustic, I've always liked that word. Now I want a cabin to go with them! Thanks, Shannon!
shannon weber says
hand pies = SO CUTE! and so portable, and it makes pie so easy to grab and eat, which is perfect for summer. I was never good (and still am not excellent) at pie crust, but you're right: the cream cheese seems to make things easier for some recipes, and it's nice to work with. These look so pretty and rustic.
Abbe Odenwalder says
i think i remember her but I'm not sure. PBS? Yes, this is forgiving which is very good for me! They also use a similar dough to make rugelach, a Jewish cookie pastry that is really good. It is filled and rolled up like a croissant. Thanks John. You are so nice!
ChgoJohn says
I, too, am a big fan of hand pies, Abbe, of all kinds. I'm also a fan of that pastry dough. I first learned of it from a TV show, Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn. No surprise she worked for Martha and used to be on her TV show. Not being much of a baker, a forgiving pie crust is something I really need! I bet it would be perfect for your berry pies and being able to grab one on your way out the door is a big plus. Thanks for sharing another great recipe, Abbe.
Abbe Odenwalder says
Angie, you are so right! I like that.
Angie Schneider says
The soul of a pie is the CRUST! These cute hand pies look terrific, Abbe.
Abbe Odenwalder says
I'm always glad when they look perfect but they taste even better! And I am sooo glad you wrote.
Kitchen Riffs says
Hand pies are so cute! I've always wondered if they were just fried pies that someone decided to bake, or whether they developed independently of fried pies. No matter - I'll take any, and in any flavor. Including lemon! Which is one of my faves . really like berry pies, but key lime is my favorite, and lemon meringue a close second. Can we still be friends? 😉 Check out the Julia Child recipe for pie dough in The Way to Cook. She mixes butter and Crisco, so she gets great flavor with decent flakiness. It's the recipe we usually use. Fun post - thanks.
Abbe Odenwalder says
I've wondered the same thing, too. But I am sure glad someone thought of them! And they are cute, I agree. And you will always be my friend and Mrs. KR, too! And I should check Julia. Maybe that will help. I think she was more patient than me though!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
No matter what kind of pie crust you used - they look amazing and I know my pies 🙂 Beautiful. Fruit pies are the real deal baby! It's what crust was made for!
Abbe Odenwalder says
Tricia, I know you know your pies so I tke this as a great compliment! Yeah, fruit pies re where it's at!