Recently, a friend of mine had what I thought was a brilliant idea. I had posted a picture on social media of blueberries I had picked and asked if anybody had any suggestions for what to do with them. I had a lot of good responses but my favorite was the inspiration for this recipe.

  
Blueberry Cheesecake Hand Pies

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold butter, diced

6 Tbsp cold water

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup blueberry jam

1/2 cup blueberries

Finishing:

1 egg and 1 Tbsp water, beaten together

Coarse sugar for sprinkling on top

Directions:

For the crust:

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse several times to combine.

  
Add cubed butter and toss in the flour mixture until it is well coated, being careful to avoid the blade.

Pulse 12-15 times until butter is pea sized.

Add water while processor is running and then pulse several more times until just before dough comes together.

  
Turn dough out onto floured surface and divide into 2 evenly sized disks.

  
Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least fifteen minutes or until ready to use.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

For the filling:

Combine cream cheese and sugar in a bowl and mix until sugar is dissolved.

  
Add egg and stir until combined.

Add vanilla extract and stir until combined.

Add blueberry jam and stir briefly.

  
Refrigerate at least one hour or until cold.

To assemble hand pies:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Roll out dough on a floured surface until it is 1/8 inch thick. Using a pastry cutter or knife, cut into even squares.

  
Separate squares and spoon cheesecake filling into the center, working one at a time.

  
Add a few blueberries and fold into a triangle, pressing the edges together when they meet.

  
Crimp the edges with a fork and trim off any excess.

  
Arrange on a baking sheet and poke a few vents in the top of each pie.

  
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar before putting in the oven.

  
Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway. Remove from oven and allow to cool at least fifteen minutes before enjoying.