Foraging Backyard Raspberries and Making Hand Pies

Although the West Coast is the largest producer of red raspberries, Western Pennsylvania farms and even possibly your backyard provide a fine home for foraging many of the 200+ varieties from August to October.

Foraging Backyard Raspberries and Making Hand Pies

A single raspberry is made of 75-85 little fruits, or drupelets, clustered together to form the berry, and kids will love to look closely to notice its complex build. Raspberries have more fiber than any other fruit, and one cup contains over half the daily value of vitamin C so nibble freely! While the plant itself is relatively tough, the fruit has one of the highest respiration rates of any, making it the most delicate berry.

Small hands are apt to make quick work of gathering and will also appreciate child-sized single serving hand pies made fresh with the fruits of their labor. Adults, too, can appreciate nostalgic jammy Raspberry Cream Hand Pies – sweet berries and cream against a nostalgic pretzel crust.

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Foraging Backyard Raspberries and Making Hand Pies

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• Author: Leah Hohman Esser

Print Recipe

Description

A dessert of fresh berries and cream in a pretzel crust will whisk you away to paradise.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the dough:

• 1 3/4 cups mini pretzel twists
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 sticks (12 tbsp) cold salted butter, cubed
• 1 tbsp sour cream

For the filling:

• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup fresh blackberries or chopped strawberries
• 1–3 tbsp brown sugar, use to your taste
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 1/4 cup high quality raspberry or strawberry jam
• 2–3 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 egg, beaten
• Pretzel salt or coarse sugar, for sprinkling

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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Instructions

1. Pulse pretzels in a food processor until they are dust.
2. Add flour and butter and pulse until pea-sized clumps form.
3. Add sour cream and 1/4 cup cold water, 1 tbsp at a time, Pulse until the dough comes together.
4. If the dough feels dry, add 1-2 tbsp of additional water.
5. Place the dough on a floured surface and form a ball.
6. Divide in half and flatten each into round disk.
7. Roll out each disk and cut into a total of 15-16 circles. Chill the dough rounds while you make the filling.
8. In a medium bowl, toss together berries, cornstarch, and sugar.
9. Add the vanilla and jam, gently toss to combine.
10. On a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving a half inch border, spread 2 tsp cream cheese onto the center of half of the circles, then top with a tablespoon of the filling.
11. Brush the edges with the beaten egg.
12. Lay a dough circle over the filling and seal the edges by crimping with the back of a fork.
13. Cut slits into the top of each hand pie.
14. Cover the baking sheets and freeze for 20 minutes.
15. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
16. Brush pies with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt/sugar. Transfer to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Plus, check out how to forage redbuds in April and make a refreshing redbud lemonade.

Recipe, Story, and Styling by Leah Hohman Esser
Production by Megan Van Dyke
Photography by Katie Long

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