The sweet juices of blackberries mingle with the taste of refreshing mint to give a bite of spring in a crisp pastry crust in these Blackberry Mint Hand Pies. With an easy to throw together no cook filling and the option to use pre-made pie dough or change things up with an easy chocolate pastry, these individual pies are crispy and sweet with every bite.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, dark cocoa powder, and salt. Using your fingertips, rub in the cubes of butter until you’re left with mostly pea-sized chunks of butter.
Using a butter knife or your fingers, gently stir in the vodka and apple cider vinegar; mix until fully incorporated. Add the ice water mix 1-2 Tbsp at a time until fully incorporated. You should notice large chunks beginning to form. Use your hands to shape the dough into a ball, there should be some dry bits of flour left still. Use your fingertips to gently pinch these bits together with the rest of the dough. You may need to give it one or two gentle kneads to incorporate these dry bits.
Divide the dough in half. Lightly flour your countertop or work surface. Roll out each half of the dough into a rectangle, about 12″x4″. Fold the top 1/3 of the dough to the center. Fold up the bottom 1/3 of dough to overlap with the top half. Flip the dough 90 degrees and repeat the rolling and folding process. Flip 90 degrees and repeat one more time. Wrap in plastic. Using a rolling pin, gently press down to flatten the dough and bring any remaining dry bits at the edges together. Allow the dough to chill and rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Blackberry Mint Hand Pies
Cut half of the blackberries in half lengthwise. In a small bowl, stir together the blackberries, mint, sugar, gin, pepper, and lemon juice. Allow to sit for 15-30 minutes until the blackberries begin to soften.
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the first half of your pie dough until it is about 2mm thick. Using a round cutter, 3.5″ across in diameter, cut out your pie dough rounds and set aside. Repeat with the other half of the dough. You should have 14-16 circles of dough. Gently roll half of the circles until they’re a little bit larger than the rest–these will be the top pieces of dough.
In a small measuring cup or a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg with 1 Tbsp of water to make an egg wash. Lightly outline one smaller circle of dough with the egg wash. Spoon a heaping pile of the blackberry mint filling into the center and cover with a larger circle of pie dough. Use a fork to crimp around the edges. Brush egg wash over the top and sprinkle with a bit of raw sugar. Cut two to three slits into the top crust and transfer the mini pie onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remainder of your dough rounds.
Place the baking sheet in the freezer to chill for ten minutes. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 15-17 minutes until the blackberry mint filling bubbles and the pies are fully cooked underneath. Cool on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Enjoy while still a bit warm or once completely cooled.