Patriotic Berry Hand Pies! These handheld, berry-filled beauties are the ultimate Memorial Day dessert or 4th of July dessert with their red, white and blue details and star-spangled cutouts! They're easy to make and even easier to eat, making it ideal for casual celebrations and backyard barbecues.
If you're planning on taking time out this weekend to eat, drink and enjoy time with friends and family, I've got a delicious way to keep some patriotism in the center of the celebration: Patriotic Berry Hand Pies! Here's why they're a great choice:
- They can be made with store-bought pie dough, cutting down on prep time significantly.
- They're a fun {easy} recipe for little hands to help with. Have kiddos punch out the star shapes in the center, fill them with berries or brush on the egg wash.
- You can use any combination of fresh or frozen berries and any jam or spread. {I'm thinking strawberries and hazelnut spread wouldn't be terrible. YUM.}
- A handheld treat keeps things easy and casual for guests.
- They're so stinkin' cute, and have the red, white & blue{berry} factor going for them.
- Is there anything as American as pie???
For these Patriotic Berry Hand Pies, I took pie crust {homemade in my case because I didn't get to run to the store and it was easier to quickly make some, but feel free to use store-bought}, cut it into small squares, and slathered the squares with a little jam before sprinkling on some fresh strawberry slices and frozen blueberries. Then, I topped it each square off with another star-spangled layer of dough to seal each square into a perfect little hand pie. {I got a tiny star-shaped cookie cutter in the cake decorating aisle at Michael's.}
Once they're baked and cooled, they're drizzled with a simple glaze to add an extra pop of sweetness {and the "white" of red, white & blue}, and they're almost too adorable to eat. Almost.
These petite pies are a heartfelt nod on Memorial Day to those who paid the ultimate price all for their country. There's no delicate way to remember such a solemn sacrifice, but I hope that while you spend time with loved ones this weekend, you'll take a second to reflect on what the day means for those who are missing theirs. <3
Patriotic Berry Hand Pies
Ingredients
- 2 sheets of store-bought pie dough or enough homemade dough to make two 9x9 inch squares
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon strawberry jam and/or blueberry jam {or your favorite jam or spread}
- 4 large strawberries hulled and sliced
- ¼ cup {approximately} blueberries
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
For Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons water or milk
Instructions
For Hand Pies
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prepare a large baking pan by lining with a sheet of parchment paper. Set aside.
- Using a rolling pin, lightly roll out both sheets of dough to approximately 9x9 inches, trimming the edges to make them a perfect square.
- Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 3 strips, each 3 inches wide. Cut each of those strips into three 3 inch pieces, leaving you with nine 3 inch squares. Do this with the other sheet of dough so that you have eighteen 3x3 inch squares.
- Place 9 of the squares of dough on the prepared baking pan. Set aside.
- Using a small, star-shaped cookie cutter, punch out a star shape in the center of other 9 squares of dough. These will be the top half of each hand pie.
- In the center of the squares you've placed on the baking pan, spread about a tablespoon of strawberry or blueberry jam, leaving a border around the edge of the square. Top the jam with a few berries {or slices of strawberry}.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat an egg and 1 tablespoon of water together until smooth to form an egg wash. This will be the "glue" for the pies and will also help them brown.
- Dip your finger or a small pastry brush into the egg wash and wet the border of each of the jam squares with a bit of it. Carefully top each of the squares with one of the star-punched squares of dough and gently push down around the edges. {You'll have 9 completed pies.}
- Using the tines of a fork, crimp the edges of each pie to seal. Brush the top of each pie with the remaining egg wash.
- Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until the pies are golden and the crust is set. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
For Glaze
- When the pies are cool, make the glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar and water or milk in a small bowl until you reach a consistency that is thick but thin enough to drizzle.
- Place the cooled pies on a cooling rack over a baking pan, or directly onto a baking pan, and drizzle with the glaze. Allow to set slightly before serving.
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