Bramble Hand Pies

A Bramble is a refreshing cocktail that is comprised mostly of blackberries, lemon, and gin and is the perfect drink for spring or summer days. The Bramble cocktail is the drink that made me love gin too!

I took this tasty cocktail and decided to make Bramble Hand Pies filled with blackberries and of course a touch of gin! The hand pies are perfect for any spring or summer party because they’re filled with fruity flavor and are hand-held so you can walk around snacking on your pie without the mess!

These hand pies have all of the texture you want in a regular slice of pie too! Flaky, buttery pie crust packed with that blackberry gin compote jam and topped with crunchy turbinado sugar which is my favorite way to add a little extra crunch to any pastry. A little egg wash on top the crust before you pop them into the oven give them that golden brown color which makes them picture perfect for your guests and will even impress you! Another reason these hand pies are a winner is that you can make the pie crust up to 5 days ahead and keep in your refrigerator before baking and the baked hand pies can be made the day before you need them.

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Bramble Hand Pies

Makes 6 hand pies

Total time: 3 hours

Pie Crust

• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup cold, cubed butter
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp gin
• ½ cup ice cold water

Blackberry Gin Filling

• 12 oz. blackberries (fresh or frozen)
• ½ cup gin
• ¼ cup sugar
• Lemon zest and juice from 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 egg
• Optional: Turbinado sugar to sprinkle on top

1. To make the pie crust, mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Using either forks or your hands mix in the cubed butter until the flour butter mixture looks like sand. Pea sized butter is okay if left in the mixture.
3. Add the vinegar, gin, and cold water and knead until the dough just comes together. Don’t overwork the dough because the butter might melt or the dough will become tough.
4. Split the dough into 2 discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days.
5. In the meantime, make the blackberry filling by adding blackberries, gin, sugar, and lemon to a saucepan. Simmer on medium heat for several minutes then mash half of the blackberries. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and 2 tbsp of the blackberry juice from the pan to create a slurry. Add the slurry to the pan and let simmer for 20-30 minutes until the filling has thickened to a jam consistency. Let cool in pan until the pie crust is ready to roll out.
6. Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Scramble 1 egg in a small bowl for your egg wash.
7. Lightly flour your work surface and roll out dough to ¼ inch thick. Using a small bowl or glass, cut circles out of the dough and place on the baking tray. Spoon 1 ½ tbsp of blackberry filling in the center of the circle. Egg wash the edges of the circle and place the other circle pie crust on top to seal around the edges. Crimp or use a fork to fully seal the edges together and egg wash the top pie crust. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar and use a knife to make a steam hole in the center of the hand pie. Bake for 22-25 minutes until the top is golden brown.
8. Remove hand pies to a cooling rack and enjoy! Hand pies can be stored up to a week in a air-tight container.

I hope you enjoy these Bramble Hand Pies and would love to hear what you think about them in the comments below! If you make them, take a picture of them and tag me on Instagram @theladlebearer.