Blueberry Hand Pies

This is a recipe from William Sonoma and just as they say it will bring back "memories of finding small, individually wrapped pies tucked into your school lunch box."  Don't overfill and I dusted them with sugar as well as drizzled with the frosting.  The filling isn't overly sweet so the extra sugar doesn't mask the fruit filling.

Ingredients:

2 cups blueberries  

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. sugar  

1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (I used lime juice plus the zest) 

2 teaspoons cornstarch  

2 Tbs. water 

Basic Pie Dough for a double-crust pie

1 large egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water  

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups of the blueberries, the 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the berries begin to give off their juices. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until all of the berries have burst, about 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water. Add the cornstarch mixture to the blueberry mixture and cook until the juices come to a boil and thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup berries. Place the saucepan in a bowl of ice water and let the mixture cool, stirring frequently. 

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Have ready an ungreased rimmed baking sheet. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and dust the top with flour. Roll it out into a rectangle about 20 by 13 inches and 1/8 inch thick. Using a 6-inch saucer as a template, use a paring knife to cut out 6 rounds. Place about 3 tablespoons of the blueberry filling on one half of a round, leaving a 1/2-inch border uncovered. Fold the dough over so the edges meet, then crimp them with a fork. Transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds and filling. Refrigerate the pies for 15 minutes. 

Lightly brush the pies with the egg wash, cut an X in the top of each pie and sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbs. sugar. Bake the pies until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let the pies cool on the pan on a wire rack, then serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 6 hand pies. 

Variation: To make a simple glaze, sift 1 cup confectioners’ sugar into a bowl and whisk in 1–2 Tbs.water until the mixture has the consistency of a thin icing. Brush the icing over the cooled pies, then let set for a few minutes before serving.