Grilled Berry Hand Pies

In the quest of pies, creativity is essential.  It is not enough to just make a pie every day.  There have to be some different combinations or cooking methods thrown in to keep it fun and interesting.  I love a good hand pie.  Usually, a small pie will be fried or baked.  I decided to grill them this time.  A couple of experiments have yielded some pretty tasty results.  Along the way, I discovered some essential steps for success for pie on the grill.

Today, I made Berry Pies.  I used a combination of fresh strawberries and blueberries for the filling.  The berries, sugar, lemon zest and juice and cornstarch go into a pot to cook prior to filling the pies.

Cook the berry mixture until it is thick and bubbly, about 20 minutes.  It is essential that the mixture has gotten thick to prevent leaks during the cooking of the pies.

Next, roll out the dough and cut out.  I use a take-out container since it is the size I want, about 4 inches across.  If I make these more often, I will get a metal cutter to make things easier.  A coffee can would work as well.  In fact, that is what my grandmother always used.  Put about 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling onto each dough circle.

Fold over and crimp the edges to seal.  This is where the amount of filling really matters.  If you find you can't seal your pie without leakage, use less filling.

An added insurance policy on leaks, for me, is the fork crimp.  It may not be necessary, but it makes me more confident.

Allow the pies to chill in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes.  This will allow the dough to firm up a little and withstand the grilling process.  Then grill on a prepared outdoor grill.  You can use a grill pan indoors if the weather doesn't permit outdoor grilling, but the flavor imparted by the outdoor grill is something to be experienced.

The results were delicious.  Everyone really liked the texture of the pastry and the flavor of the grill on the pies.  I will definitely do this again.  It was so much fun!

Important tips: 

1. Chilling the pies before grilling prevents the dough from "melting" onto the grill right away.
2. Direct heat cooks the dough more quickly and also prevents the problem of "melting".
3. If you insist on a dough with butter, use it in a 1:2 ratio with the shortening.  (2 tablespoons butter and 4 tablespoons shortening) and grate the butter into the mixture.  Large pieces of butter are not going to work well on a grill.  Believe me on this one, I tried it.

Grilled Berry Hand Pies

Filling:

1 quart strawberries, hulled and sliced

1 pint blueberries, divided use

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons lemon zest

Dough:  (this dough is not on the dough matrix on the earlier post)

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons shortening

1/4 - 1/2 cup cold water

Make the filling:  In a medium saucepan, bring the strawberries, half of the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and lemon zest to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until thickened.  Add the remaining blueberries and simmer for about 5 more minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, make the dough.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Add the shortening and cut in with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture is combined well.  Stir in 1/4 cup cold water and continue adding water by tablespoons until the mixture comes together.  When in doubt, add an extra tablespoon of water, since this dough needs to stand up to the grill.  A crumbly dough will not.  Press the dough into 2 1-inch thick disks and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.

Roll out the dough to a 1/8-inch thickness.  Cut out using a 4-inch round cutter.  Add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of berry filling.  Fold the dough over to form a half-moon.  Crimp the edges to seal.   Chill for 30 minutes.

Prepare an outdoor grill to medium-high heat.  Grill pies over direct heat with the grill closed until grill marks appear on the first side, about 4-5 minutes.  Flip and cook the other side, another 4-5 minutes.