Hand Pies

 

After we rounded up about a gallon of ripe blackberries I set to work making my favorite pie dough, Almond Lavender. I made a big lattice pie which I froze, love knowing I have that for whenever it may be wanted, and a bunch of hand pies to take over to dinner with a friend.

 

I've never made the hand pies before and I was so sure that although most peoples leaked, mine totally wouldn't. Mine totally did, less than half of them did but some totally did. In the end I kind of loved the messy homemade look it created.

 

Blackberry Hand pies
makes 10-12

lavender almond crust:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup almonds; ground up in food processor into almond meal
1-2 tbs lavender buds
1 tbs sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup cold butter; cut into pieces
1 cup water with ice cubes in it
blackberries
honey or agave syrup
1 egg; lightly beaten
coarse sugar
1    mix flour, almond meal, lavender buds, sugar and salt in a bowl
2    using a pastry blender cut in the butter until only about pea size pieces
     are left
      (you want pieces because it makes the crust flaky)
3    once blended  mix in 1/2 cup cold water (no ice cubes)
4    if dough isn't quite able to come together add more water 1 tbs at a time
      (shouldn't need the full cup)
5    bring dough together into a ball and split in half
6    wrap each dough ball in plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least 1 hour
      and up to overnight
7    preheat oven to 375 degrees F, flour your rolling surface and bring 1 dough
      ball out of the fridge
8    roll it out to about 1/4" thick then use a 4-6" circle and trace around it cutting circles
      out of your dough
9    place parchment paper on 2 baking sheets and transfer half the circles to a sheet
10  place a handful of blackberries in the center of each
11  drizzle a small amount of honey or agave syrup onto the berries
12  top with anther circle and crimp the dough together with the bottom by pressing
       your thumb between you middle and index finger all the way around
13   then cut 3 small slits in the top of the pie
14   repeat with the second ball of dough
15   then beat and egg and lightly brush the tops of each pie and top with coarse sugar
16   bake for 30-35 minutes, tops should be golden brown
17   let cool a little before serving