Blueberry Pie Cookies

BLUEBERRY PIE COOKIES

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One of my absolute favorite treats growing up was my Mom's fresh blueberry pie. You know, it's a very basic dessert that's not at all fancy ... but oh, it sure does taste good.

I can remember our family picking wild blueberries in the late summer every year, and looking forward to Mom making a pie or two with our haul.

Having grown up in Vermont, the blueberries were tiny little things growing on short bushes near the ground. They sure weren't the big, plump blueberries we buy in the grocery store now.

Stuffed full of my Mom's homemade fresh blueberry pie filling, this blueberry cookie version is just like eating a mini little blueberry pie.

Nor did they grow on the tall almost tree-like bushes I'm now accustomed to picking blueberries from in my now home-state of North Carolina.

With those teensy-tiny berries, it would sure take a lot of picking to fill up our buckets. And it would sure take a lot of picking for Mom to have enough to whip up a proper pie. But the reward was worth the work!

So the other day when I was thinking about my Mom's blueberry pie, I got the idea to turn my childhood favorite into these adorable {and tasty} Blueberry Pie Cookies.

Based on my Apple Pie Cookies I shared a few years back and stuffed full of my Mom's homemade fresh blueberry pie filling, this blueberry cookie version is just like eating a mini little blueberry pie.

Making these cookies is pretty much just like assembling a pie ... only smaller.

I started by whipping up a batch of my Mom's homemade blueberry pie filling, which is really simple to do. It takes all of about 5 minutes or less on the stove top.

All you do is combine fresh blueberries, sugar, a bit of water, and a little cornstarch in a saucepan. I also add a pinch of salt, a pinch of cinnamon, and a small touch of lemon juice to enhance the flavor. Bring all this to boil, and simmer it for about a minute until it's thick.

I started by whipping up a batch of my Mom's homemade blueberry pie filling, which is really simple to do. It takes all of about 5 minutes or less on the stove top.

It's pretty amazing how quickly this pie filling thickens up.

Once the blueberry pie filling is done, cut rounds from rolled-out pie crust. Place a small dollop of filling in the center of some of the rounds.

It's important not to over-fill the Blueberry Pie Cookies. I found that about 1 and a 1/2 measuring teaspoons of filling works best. Much more than that and the filling bubbles out of the cookies too much as they bake.

Top each filled round with another pie crust round. Use a little water to get the dough rounds to adhere well to each other.

Then crimp the edges with the tines of a fork to seal the cookies.

Brush each pie cookie with egg wash, being sure to get some egg wash over the entire surface of the cookie ... even the crimped edges.

The egg wash is an important step for developing the pie-like look of these cookies.

Since these "mini pies" won't be in the oven for as long as a full-size pie, they don't develop a nicely browned crust without the egg wash. Once baked, the egg wash gives the cookies a nice golden brown color.

Finally, cut small slits in the top crust of each cookie and bake them up.

The slits allow steam to escape from the inside of the cookies as they bake, just like slits do for a regular-sized pie. They also add a little touch of decoration to the cookies, making them look extra cute.

The crust-to-filling ratio on these is higher than for traditional blueberry pie. So for all you crust lovers out there, that's an added bonus!

I like to cut four little slits in a plus sign-shape because I think it looks nice. But 2 slashes, or any other configuration for that matter, works fine too.

One thing to keep in mind, the crust-to-filling ratio on these is higher than for traditional blueberry pie. So for all you crust lovers out there, that's an added bonus!

Once baked, enjoy these little beauties warm or cold, or freeze them for later.

Stuffed full of Mom's homemade fresh blueberry pie filling, Blueberry Pie Cookies are just like eating a mini little blueberry pie.

Just no fork required!

Blueberry Pie Cookies

Ingredients

For the Filling:

1 T. butter
1 pint (about 1 1/2 c.) fresh blueberries
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 T. cornstarch
1 tsp. lemon juice
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch salt

For Assembly:

Pie crust for a two-crust pie, store-bought or use your favorite homemade recipe
1 large egg
1/4 tsp. water
sanding sugar or granulated sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)

Directions

FOR THE FILLING:

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add blueberries, water, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.
Bring to a gently boil over medium to medium-high heat. Lower heat and simmer for about 1 minute until thickened (mixture will be quite thick). Set aside to cool slightly.

FOR ASSEMBLY:

Roll out the pie crust on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Use a 2 1/2 to 3-inch round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter to cut out as many rounds as possible from the dough (you'll need two rounds for each cookie).
Transfer half of the rounds to a baking sheet and brush the edges with a tiny bit of water (this helps seal the rounds).
Place about 1 and 1/2 measuring teaspoons of blueberry filling in the center of each round (do not over-fill). Top each with one of the remaining rounds. Press the edges to seal each pie cookie, and then use a fork to crimp the edges.
Prepare an egg wash by lightly beating together the egg and 1/4 teaspoon of water.
Brush each pie cookie with egg wash, being sure to get some egg wash over the entire surface of the cookie. (Since these mini pies won't be in the oven for as long as a full-size pie, they don't develop a nicely browned crust without the egg wash. The egg wash gives them a nice golden brown color.)
Sprinkle the tops with a pinch of sanding sugar or granulated sugar, if using. Use a small knife to cut slits in the top of each pie cookie.

TO BAKE: