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Olallieberry Hand Pies, Made with Blitz Puff Pastry Dough

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Oallieberry Hand Pies, made with Blitz Puffy Pastry, is a fabulous pastry recipe that turns out go be very tender, with buttery and flaky layers. To top these off, a simple glaze is brushed on for a treat that you family will love. If you’ve never heard of Olallieberries, they are similar to a blackberry with the tartness of a raspberry. This recipe can easily be adapted to make any kind of berry (even frozen)hand pie that will stand out as one of the best.

The key component of this hand pie is the Blitz Puff Pastry, which is an abbreviated technique to making classic puff pastry. You don’t have to laminate layer after layer with butter. Instead I’ll show you how to make this pastry in a fraction of the time.

 

I realize that not everyone has even heard of olallieberries. That’s because they are primarily grown on the Central Coast of California. This is also “home” for us, and my husband planted olallies a few years ago.  Olallies have a very short season– typically mid to late May, lasting for about a month. Before we know it, the season is over and so I try to freeze enough to last for the rest of the year. Sadly, this year, the season didn’t yield as much as last year– most likely, because of our severe drought. Phooey.

So, if you don’t have olallieberries, no worries. This recipe is really all about the pastry, which turned out to be tender and flaky.  Winner! You can use any kind of berries that you like. I promise you that your family will love holding these pastries in their hands, and savoring the flavors of summer berries.  Psssst, you can even make this in colder weather, by using frozen berries. I won’t judge.

The best way I can describe how olallieberries taste would be that they
resemble a blackberry. When ripe, the color is a gorgeous deep purple.

 
They have a sweet-tart flavor, resembling a raspberry.   My husband is crazy about them! When Craig presented me with a large bowl of freshly picked olallies, I  knew it wouldn’t be enough to make a large batch of jam.  (Fortunately, I make a lot of olallieberry jam, to last all year.)
 
 
 
I immediately thought of  Olallieberry Pie.  I reconsidered, thinking that hand pies would be a fun way to go.  A few years ago, I made my first “Blitz Pastry” and I loved it. Think of Blitz Pastry as a faster and easier version of making your own puff pastry (and I have never made my own classic puff pastry, and seriously doubt I ever will).  Don’t quote me, but somehow all that folding and layering of butter– I’ll leave it to the pros.
 
Let’s make Blitz Puff Pastry, shall we?  Most of the ingredients are the same as a classic all-butter pie crust. We do add baking powder, however. Oh, and salt.  The butter should be very cold.  You can use a pastry cutter, but I prefer to use my food processor.  Just pulse the butter into coarse and crumbly pieces.
 
Next, we add sour cream and pulse until you can still see pea-sized chunks of butter. (Overworking the dough means that we are building gluten– and this leads to a very tough crust. We don’t want that.)  I dumped the dough onto a generously floured surface (wishing I had granite counter tops).  I had to compress the dough with my fingers, so it would all stick together (again, not kneading it, just squeezing it until everything stuck together.
 

After the patting the dough into roughly an 8×10 rectangle, it’s folded into thirds (like an envelope).
 
Once again, I rolled out the dough to the same size, folded it into thirds and wrapped it in plastic wrap. This should be chilled for at least 30 minutes, but I made this the night before.
 
To make the filling, there is one ingredient that has become something I never bake pies without. It’s called “Instant Clearjel” and I buy it online at King Arthur Flour.  This ingredient works better than flour, corn starch or tapioca.  My fruit pie fillings gel perfectly, and they never run! I also like that my pie fillings don’t take on a “cloudy” color. It’s clear. Yeah, pun intended.
 
To the fresh berries,  mix about 1 tablespoon of Instant Clearjel to my sugar. I like to add fresh lemon juice, then let the berries and sugar mixture macerate for at least 10-15 minutes. (Yes, you can use frozen berries.) I know, I know… maybe you don’t want to invest in Clearjel.  It’s okay!  You can use tapioca, or cornstarch if you wish.  For me– it’s Clearjel all the way!
 
I let the ice cold dough sit out for about 15 minutes, and then start to roll it, then cut it into a large rectangle, then cut them into 12 equal rectangles.
 
Using an egg wash, I brushed around each edge, and then filled each square with 2-3 Tbsp. berries…
 
I pressed around the edges with a fork, and for fun, I cut out a small star for the steam to escape.
 
I froze the handpies for about 15 minutes. Why? I want the chunks of butter to be really, really cold so that they will steam and puff up and yield layers of tender flakes!  Usually, I brush the pastry with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle it with coarse sugar. But, this time, I wanted to do something a little different… you’ll see.
 
 These baked to a beautiful golden brown in about 20 minutes.
 
 If you look closely, you can see that there are layers of pastry.
 
Perhaps I overfilled this hand pie? No worries. It will become the one I break open first, to show you how it turned out.
 
While the hand pies were cooling, I measured one cup powdered sugar and added one teaspoon of Instant Clearjel, then added just enough cream (half and half) to make a spreadable glaze.
 
The pies were still warm, and I coated them with the glaze a couple of times.
 
While it’s not the best idea to cut into a pie until it’s completely cool (or the filling won’t set), hand pies are a whole different story.  There’s no cutting into these– just biting!
 
 
 
TASTING NOTES: In the words of my son, these are “amazing”!  As you can clearly see, the Instant Clearjel firms up the fruit filling.
 

TASTING NOTES: The pastry is very tender, and I like the glaze– which isn’t over-the-top sweet.  Truth be told, making hand pies is a bit more time intensive than making a two-crust pie– unless you use a pastry turnover press. I use my turnover press to make empenadas and pastry turnovers. There’s a learning curve (like don’t over fill it) but it’s fun!  While making hand pies takes a little more effort, it sure makes eating this fruit dessert a whole lot easier and less messy– especially in someone’s lunch box.  Just sayin’… So, if you want to use a pastry turnover press– go for it. Below is one of my first efforts that included making this “Blitz Puff Pastry”. 

 
Here’s how I made these Berry Puff Turnovers.
Olallieberry Hand Pies, Made with Blitz Puff Pastry Dough
Print Recipe
4 from 3 votes

Olallieberry Iced Hand Pies (& Blitz Puff Pastry Dough)

If you’ve never heard of Olallieberries, it might be that you don’t live on the Coast of California. They are similar to a blackberry with the tartness of a raspberry. This recipe can easily be adapted to make any kind of berry (even frozen) to make a hand pie that will stand out as one of the best. They key is the Blitz Puff Pastry, which is an abbreviated technique to making classic puff pastry. The pastry turns out go be very tender, with buttery and flaky layers. To top these off, a simple glaze is brushed on for a treat that you family will love.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Berry Hand Pies, Hand Pies, Olallieberry Pie
Servings: 8 hand pies
Calories: 443kcal
Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Ingredients

PASTRY:

  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour highly recommend: King Arthur Flour Unbleached
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (16-tablespoons) cold butter
  • 1/2 cup sour cream cold
  • Egg wash one beaten egg with a splash of water, whisked

FILLING:

  • 2 cups olallieberries or blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries, fresh or frozen
  • 1/4 cup sugar see note
  • 1 tablespoon Instant ClearJel*
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice

GLAZE:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Instant Clearjel
  • Enough cream to make a spreadable icing

Instructions

Pastry:

  • Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the butter, working it in to make a coarse/crumbly mixture. Leave most of the butter in large, pea-sized pieces. Note: I like to use my food processor for less elbow grease.
  • Stir in the sour cream; the dough won’t be cohesive. Turn it out onto a floured work surface, and bring it together with a few quick kneads.
  • Pat the dough into a rough log, and roll it into an 8 x 10-inch rectangle. Dust both sides of the dough with flour, and starting with a shorter end, fold it in three like a business letter.
  • Flip the dough over, give it a 90°F turn on your work surface, and roll it again into an 8 x 10-inch rectangle. Fold it in three again.
  • Wrap the dough, and chill for at least 30 minutes before using. Note: I made the dough the night before.

Filling:

  • If using blueberries, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan set over medium heat. Cook until the mixture starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked berries to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
  • If using olallieberries, or any other kind of berry, combine the Clearjel with the sugar and pour over the fruit. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Set aside for at least 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 425°F; place a rack on the middle shelf. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • To assemble the pies: Roll the dough into a 14 x 14-inch square. With a straight edge and pastry wheel, or a 3 1/2-inch square cutter, cut out sixteen 3 1/2-inch squares. (I made mine a little bit larger, which yielded six pies.)
  • Divide the filling among half the squares, using about a heaping tablespoon for each. Brush some of the beaten egg along the edges of each filled square.
  • Cut a vent into the each of the remaining eight squares, using a decorative cutter of your choice.
  • Top each filled square with a vented square, and press along the edges with the tines of a fork or a pie crust crimper to seal.

Glaze:

  • Combine 1 cup confectioners’ sugar with 1/4 teaspoon Instant ClearJel and enough milk or cream to make a spreadable icing. Paint the icing on with a pastry brush or a nylon spreader.
  • Why add that touch of Instant ClearJel? It helps the icing set up neatly, like the icings you see on doughnuts at you-dunkin-know-where. You’ll still get nice little drips, but they’ll set up and not melt as they would with straight confectioners’ sugar glaze.

Optional, instead of the glaze:

  • Brush the top of each pie with the remaining beaten egg, and sprinkle with sparkling sugar. Transfer the pies to the prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake the pies for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes icing. Otherwise, allow the pies to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Notes

Pastry recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour
NOTE: Olallieberries can be on the tart side. I always taste the berry filling, before filling the pastry. Adjust the sugar ratio to your liking. I don’t add vanilla or cinnamon to the filling, but feel free to do so.

Nutrition

Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 161mg | Potassium: 144mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 875IU | Vitamin C: 8.2mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1.7mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @afeastfortheeyes or tag #afeastfortheeyesblog!
debby

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Comments

  2. Kate says

    What I wouldn't give to have one of these for …..breakfast! You see if I had one I wouldn't be able to wait until lunch. 🙂 Beautiful hand pies!! I think I need some of your secret, amazing, powder. 🙂

    Reply

  3. Bill says

    I grew up eating blackberry pies and cobblers. This recipe would be perfect for fresh blackberries! Love your crust recipe, Debby. Got to give this one a try! Great post!!

    Reply

  4. bellini says

    I have never had the opportunity to try these berries Debby but there are so many berries to use in a pinch. Love the new look by the way.

    Reply

  6. admin says

    Cris, these are too large to fit into a toaster! Personally, I would microwave them for 10-15 seconds only, but the glaze might melt! Personally, we liked ours room temperature.

    Reply

  7. mjskit says

    I've heard of olallieberries but have never been lucky enough to taste them. I'm sure I'd love them because I've never found a berry I didn't love. 🙂 Your hand pies do look extremely tasty and I see what you mean that it's all about the pastry. I can see these filled with blackberries. YUM!

    Reply

  9. Maegan Allen says

    2 stars
    I baked them, using homegrown olallieberries, exactly as written. The pastry was decent but the lemon juice when sitting with the berries ended up leaking all over the pastry so I couldn’t get a decent seal. They they leaked more in the oven. Not enough sugar added to berries and needs another favor enhancer for the filling, maybe cinnamon or a dab of vanilla. Only way they are worth it is with ice cream on top and at that point just make a cobbler or crisp. I won’t be making them again but thanks for the idea.

    Reply

    • Debby says

      I’m sorry to read that this recipe didn’t work out for you. I am thinking I should add to the post to check for sweetness and flavor, to adjust sugar ratio. Did you use ClearJel or cornstarch? My photos are honest, and you can see that the berries did firm up! As far as needing flavor enhancer, that’s definitely a personal choice. Our olallies are tart, and we like them a tad tart and a tad sweet. Alas, I’m sorry that this recipe didn’t live up to your expectations.

      Reply

  10. Kim says

    5 stars
    These are perfect. I use this recipe every year when Olaliaberries are in season and have adopted this pastry recipe as my go to for all pies. Thank you thank you!

    Reply

  11. Patrick says

    5 stars
    Turned out perfect. I used corn starch but will be ordering some Clearjel for the future. I used monkfruit erythritol sweetener instead of sugar. Also I used nonfat greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Those are standard substitutions for me because it’s what I eat regularly and have on hand. Thanks also for the pastry recipe also. Very easy and perfect.

    Reply
4 from 3 votes

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