Blueberry Goat Cheese & Rosemary Hand Pies

August 15, 2013

Blueberry, Goat Cheese, and Rosemary Hand Pies | une gamine dans la cuisine


Hot summer has exhausted her intent
To the last rose and roundelay and seed.
No leaf has changed, and yet these leaves now read
Like a love-letter that's no longer meant.

~ Richard Wilbur, from section I of "Two Quatrains for First Frost," in New and Collected Poems (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988)


Blueberry, Goat Cheese, and Rosemary Hand Pies | une gamine dans la cuisine


As I made my way down the seemingly endless dusty driveway this morning, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep, I stumbled upon a lone red leaf from one of the maple trees. My first though was 'oh, how lovely!' It took a moment for my un-caffeinated mind to catch up to my happy-go-lucky eyes. I plucked up the little red harbinger and tucked it away into a never-used pocket of my cardigan - you know, one of those wee pockets with buttons that were never meant to be unbuttoned...

I returned to the house with a pile of junk mail and a semi-bad mood - thankfully I had two hand pies waiting for me, as well as a much needed cup of strong, creamy coffee. These hand pies are nectarous! The filling bursts with the sweet flavour of ruptured blueberries and the ever-so-subtle tang of goat cheese. I used rosemary in the crust and filling - because when you combine blueberries with rosemary, it's epic. Things happen. Moods lift, early red leaves are forgotten, and blithe August reasserts herself through wild, overgrown fields - & hot, sleepless nights.


Blueberry, Goat Cheese, and Rosemary Hand Pies | une gamine dans la cuisine



blueberry, goat cheese and rosemary hand pies
makes 9-12 pies

for the crust
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 Tablespoon grated lemon zest (about 1 medium lemon)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (that's 2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold + cut into bits
1/4 cup cold buttermilk (or half & half cream)

for the filling
1 pint (about 2 cups) fresh blueberries
1/4 cup goat cheese
1/4 cup buttermilk
3 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

for brushing and sprinkling
1 egg
1 Tablespoon cream
Superfine sugar (granulated is okay too)


method
Prepare the crust: In a stand mixer bowl, combine the sugar, rosemary, and lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the rosemary and lemon into the sugar until it's moist and aromatic. Add 1 cup of flour and, using the paddle attachment, beat on low speed for about 30 seconds. Keep the mixer on low and begin adding the cold bits of butter - one small handful at a time - until completely incorporated. Add the remaining 1 cup of flour and beat on low until just blended. Add the cold buttermilk and beat on low until incorporated and the dough comes together.

Gather the dough into a ball and divide it in half. Form each half into a disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight (preferably).

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment.

Prepare the filling: In a large bowl combine the blueberries, goat cheese, buttermilk, honey, rosemary, and flour. Gently fold/stir the ingredients together. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and cream; Set aside.

Rolling the dough: Generously flour a work surface and rolling pin. Grab one disc of dough from the fridge - if it's too stiff to roll, allow the disc to rest at room temperature for a few minutes. Roll the disc out into a circle that's 1/8-inch thick (don't worry if it's not a perfect circle because you're going to be cutting out smaller circles). Use a floured 4-inch biscuit or cookie cutter to stamp out an even number of circles - re-roll any leftover scraps. Place half the circles onto one of the prepared baking sheets and place a small spoonful of blueberry filling onto the center of each one. Brush edges with the egg/cream mixture and top with the remaining (bare) circles of dough. Use a lightly floured fork to seal-crimp the edges together. Brush the top of each pie with egg wash and use a sharp pairing knife to make a small 'x' shaped vent. Sprinkle with superfine (or regular) sugar. Place the baking sheet into fridge as you repeat the process with the other dough disc.

Bake the sheet that's been in the refrigerator the longest first. Bake 20-23 minutes or until the pies are golden brown.

Remove the sheets from the oven and place onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before enjoying.

adapted from local milk, and Hungry Girl por Vida

31 comments:

  1. Oh how wonderful, I absolutely love hand pies and these are full of flavor with your rosemary and goat cheese. Still need to give that rosemary a swing at my blueberry pie.

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  2. I've started to see a few red leaves here as well, and I rebel by continuing to by every peach and basket of berries in sight! I adore these hand pies.. that trickle of blueberry bliss is divine! :)

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  3. I've yet to make hand pies. Yours are absolutely gorgeous.

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  4. Goat cheese in a pie?! YAAAAY!! This is incredible! And yes to that rosemary...such a great idea!

    I'm hatin' the leaves on the ground...

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  5. So pretty and perfect! Those hand pies could be sold in a bakery. I really love that flavor combination. Really original!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  6. These are so incredibly beautiful! In love with every photo (and the recipe).

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  7. I've been looking for a good hand pie recipe for weeks! Sounds like I found a winner! I'll be making these and linking to your recipe on my blog soon :)

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  8. Oh, Valerie, what a beautiful poem. So evocative. And your hand pies are exquisite, too. Is there anything you can't do?

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  9. i have never made hand pies before but it looks so adorable

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  10. Another pairing of rosemary/lemon crust with blueberries - sounds good.

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  11. They look cute and must be extremelly delicious. I'm soooooo baking these! :)

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  12. Oh what pretty pies, love the flavor combination. The poem is lovely.

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  13. These sound delicious, I've never even thought of blueberries and goats cheese! I'll have to give it a go. These photos are also beautiful. I've just started my own food blog, www.corianderandcumin.wordpress.com - have a look if you fancy it :) x

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  14. Oh Yum!! These look absolutely amazing.

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  15. These look perfect. They would certainly brighten up my day too. Very interesting flavor combination!

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  16. Those pies really look amazing!

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  17. Not quite seeing the signs of fall in the Bay Area yet - but looking forward to it. Loving these tasty little handpies. A fews bite of heaven!!!!

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  18. What a lovely poem. :)

    And isn't it great to come home to baked goods like this when you're in a bit of a mood? So comforting!

    And awesomely creative pies you've got going on over here. :)

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  19. These are so pretty! I love a blueberry pie more than any other summer dessert and you've put a great savory spin on these.

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  20. I wish there were signs of fall here lol - I'll just have to wait til we head back to the East Coast for a visit in October to experience it. Your hand pies are spectacular - I don't normally have the patience to make something like this but I'm absolutely dying to try!

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  21. I can't believe I have never thought to put these 2 in a hand pie!!!! Awesome

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  22. These are so very lovely.. Hand pies are definitely a favorite in my house.

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  23. Every post you write is more beautiful than the last Valerie! Love this one. The hand pies look absolutely divine and I just felt... peaceful... looking at each image. Definitely making these xx

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  24. This is a unique and summery combination. Very inspiring!

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  25. Unbelievably cute pies, and I love using goat cheese in my desserts too.

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  26. Val you are such a great baker.
    These handpies are so cute, and so creative flavorwise.

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  27. These are so pretty, and I bet they taste just fantastic. What a lovely, lovely combination of flavors!

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  28. I've never made hand pies before but definitely want to now, especially after seeing these! They look lovely and the flavors sound so interesting together!

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  29. I am totally intimidated by recipes like this--and right now I am really wishing I was not! Love the flavor combo! Want to come make them for me? :)

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  30. Hello. Could I just ask what sort of goats' cheese you used? I was assuming the creamy spreadable kind, as opposed to hard, or soft but crumbly...

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  31. @firthlet: I used the regular crumbly goats' cheese. The buttermilk, honey, and berry juice soften it up nicely. When you fill the pie shells, gently push any bits of cheese into the rest of the filling. :)

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Thanks for visiting, and for taking the time to read through my ramblings!
If you have a recipe comment or question, I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Baking!
♥ Valerie

 

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