Blueberry-Vanilla Cream Cheese Hand Pies

“A MOTHER IS A PERSON WHO SEEING THERE ARE ONLY FOUR PIECES OF PIE FOR FIVE PEOPLE, PROMPTLY ANNOUNCES SHE NEVER DID CARE FOR PIE.”  Tenneva Jordan

 Well the bad news is, it is Mother’s Day weekend and my guys are once again away at school.  The good news is, this recipe makes 10 hand pies and there’s only one of me!!!  This is a perfect Saturday morning recipe.  It is quick and easy and amazing in flavor!  I love, love, love blueberries!  And I will be using them a lot as spring turns into summer.

But this recipe is simple and  delicious!  The pies are incredibly light given the buttery, flaky crust and the amount of blueberries and cream cheese packed inside of them.  They come together quickly, but the end result is something pretty special.  I hope you will give them a try and feel free to mix and match berries and liqueur.  Yum!

PIES:

2 (17.3 oz) packages of frozen puffed pastry

8 oz cream cheese, softened

seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

10 TBSP granulated sugar

4 large egg yolks

2 c blueberries

2 tsp potato starch (or cornstarch)

4 tsp cassis

1/4 tsp kosher salt

demerara sugar for sprinkling

confectioner’s sugar for finishing

Let the puff pastry thaw in the refrigerator overnight.  Let the cream cheese come to a softened state at room temperature.

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, 6 TBSP granulated sugar, seeds from vanilla bean, vanilla extract, and 2 egg yolks.  Mix with a wooden spoon until combined and smooth.

In another bowl, combine blueberries, 4 TBSP sugar, potato starch, cassis and salt.  Mix gently.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each pastry sheet into a 10 inch square.  With a round cutter or a plate, cut into 2 rounds per sheet.  (I used a cereal bowl and gathered the scraps and quickly and lightly rolled another sheet to get 2 more rounds for a total of 10).  Arrange on parchment lined baking sheets.

Beat 2 egg yolks with 2 tsp water to make an egg wash.  Brush the outer edge of each round with egg wash.  In the center of each round place a TBSP of cream cheese and 3 TBSP of blueberry mixture.  Fold in half to form a half moon and pinch the edges to seal.  Crimp as desired.  Cut a small line in each top to vent.  Brush with egg wash.  Sprinkle with demerara sugar and bake for 22-25 minutes.  Allow to cool and then sprinkle with powdered sugar.  But most of all…..Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking