A Delicious Berry Filled 4th of July

Photo from Pampered Chef

The 4th of July is a day we spend with family and friends, enjoying BBQ's and fireworks. But it is also a day of remembering. We remember those who are serving, those who have served and those who have fallen in the name of freedom and keeping our great land safe. We at Sunset Valley Organics thank all of those who have served or are serving this nation, your bravery and sacrifice will always be deeply appreciated and remembered.

The 4th of July is also the day our four fathers announced that the United States of America was to be it's own nation, independent of Britain. Those great men dared to be different, and to think differently, much like we do on the farm. We dare to push the limits of what is certified organic farming, we push to go to the next step. We call this biological farming, we pay attention to our soil and let the land tell us what it needs, we listen to the plants and guide us to helping them be as healthy as they can be. Which in turn produces nutrient dense fruit which gives our customers a healthy living choice.

We appreciate all of our customers support over the years and hope everyone has a fun & safe 4th of July.  

Blueberry Hand Pie Ice cream Sandwiches (what a mouthful- literally!)

Ingredients:

For the hand pie:

FOR THE FILLING:

3/4 C. Sugar
3 T. Cornstarch
1/4 t. Cinnamon
1 T. Water
1 C. Blueberries
1 1/2 C. Blueberries
1 t. Fresh Lemon Juice
4-5 drops Lavender Oil(use a pure grade that is safe for consumption)
FOR THE CRUST:
1 1/2 C. Flour
1 t. Sugar
1/2 t. Salt
1/8 t. Baking Powder
5 1/2 T. Shortening, chilled
4 1/2 T. Butter, chilled
1 Egg Yolk
2 t. White Vinegar
1/2 C. Cold Water
2-3 Ice Cubes
1 egg
2 T. Milk

For the Sandwich:

7-8 C. Vanilla Ice Cream

Instructions:

For the pie:

1. FOR THE FILLING: Place the sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan and mix together. Add the water and 1 C. blueberries, mixing into the sugar mixture and smashing up the berries a bit.
2. Heat the pan on medium heat, cooking and stirring until the blueberries start to give up their juice, pressing them down to help pop them as you stir. Make sure you stir frequently so that the sugar doesn't stick to the bottom. The sauce become thick and glossy, with most of the berries burst and deflated.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 1 1/2 C. blueberries. When the filling is cool, stir in the lemon juice and lavender oil. If you are a little timid about the lavender flavor, use 3 drops of oil. If you would like a bolder lavender flavor, use 5.
4. Refrigerate filling. It should be cold before using it to fill the crusts.
5. FOR THE CRUST: Place the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor. Place the lid on and pulse the mixture a few times to blend.
6. Add the butter and shortening to the crust, 1 T. at a time, pulsing a few times with each addition(don't run the processor consistently). When the butter and shortening are added, pulse a few times more, or until the butter is cut down to pea sized pieces.
7. Mix together the cold water, vinegar, egg yolk, and ice cubes. Let chill for a minute or two. Add 3 1/2-4 T. of the mixture to the dough 1 T. at a time, pulsing a few times after each addition until the dough comes together, but is not too wet. Chill immediately while you prepare to roll out the dough.
8. Place a sheet of waxed paper on your work surface. Take half of the dough out of the fridge, place on the paper and flatten into a disc.
9. Place another piece of waxed paper on top of the dough. Roll the dough out thin, at least 1/8" thick, or thinner, if desired.
10. Remove the top sheet of waxed paper and cut circles out of the dough that are at least 2-2 1/2" in diameter. Place dough circles on a baking sheet lined with a silpat mat or parchment paper.
11. Roll out the other half of the dough in the same manner. Cut out circles of dough that are at least 1/2" larger than the dough circles on the baking sheet.
12. Working one at a time, place 1 1/2-2 T. of the cooled filling in the center of a dough circle. Gently place one of the larger dough circles on top of the filling and seal the edges by pressing your fingertips around the edges of the dough circle. Press the tines of a fork around the edge of the circle to fully seal in the filling.
13. Repeat this procedure with the remaining dough and filling.
14. Place the egg and milk in a small bowl and beat well.
15. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the pies with the mixture.
16. Sprinkle a small amount of kosher salt on top of the pies.
17. Bake the pies at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
18. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

For the sandwich:
1. This one is pretty obvious. Stuff a scoop of ice cream between two hand pies. A few tips, however:
2. For best results, stuff the ice cream between pies that are room temperature and serve immediately.
3. You can assemble these and then freeze them, and they actually freeze pretty well. But for the best texture, serve when assembled.
4. For thick ice cream sandwiches, like the ones pictured, line a wide 1 C. measuring cup with plastic wrap and press ice cream into it with a spoon. It should be easy to invert because of the plastic wrap. Place the side of the ice cream not lined in plastic on the bottom of a hand pie, then peel off the plastic and top the bottom of the ice cream with another hand pie.

recipe from The Kitchen McCabe