Oregon Raspberry Hand Pies

Preparation

For the Cream Cheese Hand Pie Crust

Step 1
Place a mixing bowl in the refrigerator.

Step 2
Combine all dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until incorporated.

Step 3
Add cream cheese chunks and process until mixture looks like coarse meal, then add frozen butter cubes and pulse until butter is no larger than pea-sized.

Step 4
Add ice water and vinegar and process until butter is the size of baby peas.

Step 5
Remove the chilled mixing bowl from the refrigerator and dump the mixture, which will still be very granular, into the bowl. Knead the mixture until it holds together well. Flatten into a disc and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for at least an hour, preferably several hours or overnight. Meanwhile, make the Oregon Raspberry Pie Filling, see below.

Step 6
Allow the dough to warm up just enough that it’s pliable. On a floured board, roll half at a time to 1/8 inch thick, and use a biscuit cutter or template to cut out 4 inch rounds. This dough is super forgiving, so don’t waste the scraps! Reroll them and they’ll work just fine. You should end up with 15-16 rounds.

Step 7
Place the rounds on a parchment lined sheet pan and refrigerate until ready to use.

 

For the Oregon Raspberry Pie Filling

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Step 2
In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and cornstarch together.

Step 3
In a medium sized bowl, gently toss the raspberries with lemon juice. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture into the berries and stir until combined.

Step 4
Pour mixture into a glass pie pan or other shallow baking dish. Bake, stirring occasionally, until the berries are bubbling all over and the juice is no longer opaque—when it’s clear, that means that the cornstarch has cooked. Baking times will vary depending on the size of the baking dish, so check in on your berries! Using a 6 x 9 inch Pyrex pan, our berries took about 35 minutes to bake with one good stir about halfway through.

Step 5
Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least an hour before assembly.

 

For the Oregon Raspberry Hand Pie Assembly

Step 1
Remove the hand pie rounds from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature just briefly, until they’re pliable. If you have a warm kitchen, working in batches is definitely recommended here.

Step 2
Place about a tablespoon and a half of fully chilled raspberry filling just a little off center of each round.

Step 3
With a pastry brush, barely moisten the area around the filling. Fold the dough gently over the filling and press the edges together firmly. Then press the edges with the tines of a fork to further seal the filling inside the hand pie.

Step 4
Repeat with all the hand pies, then return them to the refrigerator and chill for at least an hour, up to a day if wrapped. They can also be wrapped securely and frozen for up to two weeks at this point. Thaw in the refrigerator before frying. Extra filling can also be frozen for later use.

 

Frying the Hand Pies

Step 1
Preheat your fryer to 375°F and set a cooling rack next to it.

Step 2
Place a few hand pies in the fryer basket and lower into the oil. Fry for 4-5 minutes and carefully turn them over, then fry for another 4-5 minutes until golden brown. In a small countertop fryer, 10 minutes total was just right. Depending on the size of your fryer, it may take a few minutes more or less.

Step 3
Place the fried pies on a cooling rack and cool to room temperature.

Step 4
If desired, mix 1 C sugar and 1 T cinnamon together in a medium bowl and toss the hand pies with the mixture before serving.

Step 5
Serve at room temperature the same day they are fried, and prepare to be thanked — a lot!