Cheer on Our Olympic Team with These Delightful Strawberry and Blueberry Hand Pies

Cheer on Our Olympic Team with These Delightful Strawberry and Blueberry Hand Pies

Perfect for your Team USA Olympic watch party, these delightful hand pies require no fork. They feature a scrumptious pie crust filled with blueberries or cherries and topped with white icing for a festive red, white, and blue theme.

Make the Pie Dough
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 tsp sugar
2 sticks very cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
8-10 tablespoons ice cold water

The day before, add the flour, salt, and sugar to the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse to mix thoroughly.

Add the butter and pulse until it becomes the size of peas. With the food processor running, add the water while pulsing until the dough comes together.

Dump out onto a floured surface and, using your hands, gather together to form a large disk. Cut in half and place each half in two floured plastic bags. Form and flatten into a disk in the bag.
Refrigerate over-night.

Make the Filling:
3 cups fresh or frozen cherries or blueberries, stemmed and pitted, fresh cherries cut in half
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
Flour, for rolling the dough
1 egg white
2 tbsp turbinado or raw sugar
1½ cups confectioner’s sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

The day before, combine the fresh fruit with the sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Cook over medium heat, occasionally stirring, until the juices are released and the fruit collapses, about 20 minutes. Whisk the cornstarch and 1 tbsp cold water in a small bowl to blend thoroughly. Add the cornstarch mixture, continuing to simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight.

Make the Hand Pies:
Line a large-rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Working with one disk at a time, roll out the pie dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a sharp knife, dough cutter, or pizza cutter, cut and reroll the scraps of dough for both disks until you have eight 10×3″ rectangles. Whisk the egg white and 1 teaspoon water in another small bowl to make an egg wash.

Working with one 10×3” shape at a time, place on a work surface and brush edges with egg wash. Cut a star shape out of one side. Scoop 2-3 tablespoons of fruit mixture on the other side, then fold the star side of the dough over the filling to form a 5×3″ packet. Crimp all edges with a fork to seal. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Brush tops with egg wash, then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Place back in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Bake the hand pies until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Whisk the confectioner’s sugar with vanilla and 1 tablespoon water. Add more water or sugar to reach the desired consistency for icing. Drizzle over the hand pies and let the icing set for 15-20 minutes before serving. Make 8 hand pies.

Celebrate the USA with Chocolate Bourbon Fudge Pops

Celebrate the USA with Chocolate Bourbon Fudge Pops

Celebrate the USA in the Olympics with these delightful homemade chocolate bourbon popsicles. Made from a rich, creamy melted chocolate mixture and infused with Kentucky bourbon, these frozen treats are finished with a drizzle of melted chocolate and topped with patriotic sprinkles. You can easily enjoy these popsicles without the bourbon for a non-alcoholic version.

8 ounces high high-quality dark chocolate
1 ½  cups whole milk
½ cup cream plus 2 tablespoons, divided
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch kosher salt
2 tablespoons good-quality bourbon, optional
2 teaspoons corn syrup
Decorative sprinkles, optional

Finely chop up 6 ounces of the chocolate and place in a blender.  Place a pan on the stove over medium heat and add the milk, ½ cup cream, sugar, and cocoa. Bring to a light simmer, remove from heat, and immediately pour over chocolate in the blender. Add the vanilla, salt, and bourbon (optional) and allow to sit for 3-5 minutes to soften the chocolate. Turn the blender on and blend until chocolate mixture is smooth. Let the blender sit for a few minutes so any foam on the surface can dissipate.

Pour into eight 3-ounce ice pop molds or paper cups. Reserve any extra liquid and store it in the refrigerator to make more pops. Freeze the pops for about 1 hour before inserting wooden sticks, then freeze for 24 hours.

Line a sheet tray with parchment and place it in the freezer. Remove the pops from the molds and place them on the parchment-lined sheet tray. Freeze for 1 hour. Use the molds to make pops with any extra chocolate mixture, following the steps prior.

Add the remaining 2 ounces of chopped chocolate, 2 teaspoons corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons cream in a microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave on low in 30-second intervals until just starting to melt. Whisk until the chocolate melts and the mixture is fluid. Remove the sheet tray with the pops from the freezer and drizzle with the chocolate. Immediately sprinkle with decorative sprinkles (if using) and freeze the pops again for 30 minutes. Do this step quickly since the chocolate sets when it contacts the cold pops.

Serve or bag the pops in small individual bags and return to the freezer to save for later. Follow the directions again to make any more pops with the left-over liquid. Makes 8-12 pops.