I can’t stop making ricotta gnocchi, and the moment you realize how easy and delicious they are, I don’t think you will be able to stop, either! This recipe is a keeper!

Making ricotta gnocchi for the first time made me feel like a total rockstar! It’s one of those recipes that seems almost too easy. You can’t help but wonder, ‘Is that really it?’ And honestly, yes, it’s genuinely so simple, not to mention it turns out just as well as our beloved potato gnocchi recipe!

Ricotta makes gnocchi unbelievably light, fluffy, and almost cloud-like! I love it SO much! About 20 minutes stand between you and the most delicious homemade gnocchi. You’ll make our simple dough, roll it into ropes, and quickly cut it into little squares. Then, you only need 5 minutes to cook them! I genuinely cannot wait for you to try this recipe!

Key Ingredients

• Flour: You can use either all-purpose or “00” flour. Many traditional Italian recipes call for “00” flour, but don’t stress if you don’t have it. All-purpose works perfectly well. If you buy “00” flour and have some leftover, I also use it to make homemade pasta and pizza dough.
• Ricotta: This is the star of our recipe, so use the highest quality you can find. Whole milk is a must for this one, and we want it to be thick. If your ricotta seems watery, add it to a fine mesh strainer and let it sit for 10 minutes to drain any excess water.
• Egg: One egg helps our dough come together, adds a bit of fat, and keeps it light and fluffy.
• Parmesan: For the best flavor, use Parmigiano-Reggiano and finely grate it yourself. Pre-grated cheese doesn’t melt as well and won’t be as fine.
• Lemon: This is optional, but I love adding a little finely grated lemon zest to my ricotta gnocchi dough. If you aren’t into it or don’t have a lemon, don’t worry, the gnocchi will still be excellent without it. As a substitute, you can add finely chopped fresh herbs (like basil, dill, or parsley).

How to Make Ricotta Gnocchi

I’ve made this ricotta gnocchi so many times! It has become one of our absolute favorite go-to recipes. Trust me. It’s incredibly easy to make. Ricotta gnocchi dough comes together in about 20 minutes!

You stir the dough ingredients together with a spoon, and then form it into a rectangle to cut the dough into 4 equal(ish) pieces. Then, use your childhood play dough skills and roll them into ropes. From there, cut into little squares. At this point, you can cook them or freeze them (freezing tips are in the recipe).

My favorite way to cook ricotta gnocchi is to boil them in salted water (just like homemade pasta). It only takes 2 to 3 minutes. Then, toss them into a skillet with melted butter to get them a little crispy around the edges.

You can serve them like this with some extra cheese or toss them in your favorite sauce. My favorites are my quick marinara, slightly more decadent red pasta sauce, and basil pesto.

Yura Artisanal Scoops
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Brightly lit and thoughtfully designed, ITC Grand Chola’s gelato bar, named Yura – Artisanal Scoops, is inspired by the Japanese word that literally means ‘beautiful dream’, and offers an imaginative selection of gelatos, frozen yoghurt, sugar-free options and sorbets.

Pastry chefs at ITC Grand Chola, Chef Sridhar Manickam and Chef Deepthi Joji who curated the menu, explain that the 10 flavours were the result of extensive experimentation, trial and error. “We wanted to create desserts that resonate with all age groups, including international guests,” says Chef Deepthi, adding that they will be launching softies next.

Blueberry yogurt
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

To support this vision, ITC has brought in state-of-the-art equipment from Italy. “The stages of pasteurisation, mixing, homogenisation and ageing, are completely automated and precisely controlled. We take great care to ensure we use only the best ingredients, while consciously supporting local produce wherever possible. For example, in our Idukki vanilla flavour, the vanilla is directly sourced from farmers in the Idukki region of Kerala,” says Chef Sridhar.

Sicilian pistachios
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Yura’s current offering includes Alphonso mango sorbet, French raspberry sorbet, blueberry yogurt, filter kaapi, miso caramel, chocolate (64% dark), Idukki vanilla gold, cookie and toffee, saffron and apricot and Sicilian pistachio. The sugar-free category features vanilla and chocolate. “We have adapted the Japanese miso flavour, which traditionally uses fermented soy bean and ensured the salty flavour lends itself well to the gelato texture and taste. Blueberries are slow-cooked for over three hours before they go into our yoghurt. All our gelatos are vegetarian and we do not use additives or preservatives,” says Chef Sridhar.

Chocolate gelato
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

After sampling the range, cookie and toffee emerged as the personal favourite, instantly evoking a sense of childhood nostalgia. A close second was the saffron and apricot, which delivered a rich and wholesome experience, and the filter coffee which carried a warm, familiar appeal. Among the sorbets, the mango stood out with its bright, refreshing flavour.

Yura – Artisanal Scoops is at ITC Grand Chola, Guindy. Call on 9840486009. The range of artisanal gelatos and sorbets are available for dine-in, takeaway, and delivery via Swiggy and Zomato.

Get ready to fall in love with these easy blueberry hand pies, featuring a jammy blueberry filling wrapped in a perfectly crisp buttery crust. All made simple thanks to store-bought puff pastry!

These hand pies filled with blueberries make me smile whenever we make them! My family loves blueberry pie, and the fact that this recipe turns it into a handheld experience is seriously the best! I keep these super easy with store-bought puff pastry, making them a little lighter and airier than if you swap it for traditional pie crust (which is an option, by the way).

I love fresh blueberries in these pies, but I’ve shared tips for swapping them for frozen blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and strawberries below! For more pie inspired recipes, try our apple pie cupcakes, made with a base of cinnamon roll dough (I know!). Or, for another blueberry recipe, see this easy blueberry crumble!

Key Ingredients

• Store-Bought Puff Pastry: Puff pastry is the secret to these easy individual hand pies. It is made with multiple layers of dough separated by butter. When you bake it, the butter puffs and lifts the layers of dough above it. That’s why puff pastry becomes so flaky. I used Pepperidge Farm in the photos, but use what you have available! You can also substitute it with homemade pie crust (no changes necessary).
• Blueberries: I love fresh blueberries (especially during the summer when they are in season). You can also use frozen berries in our recipe (tips for this are in the recipe). Or substitute for other berries or cherries.
• Sugar: I don’t like the filling to be too sweet, but I add a little sugar to help make that jammy texture. Granulated sugar or coconut sugar is perfect. If you have some, sprinkle coarse sugar over the dough before baking (or use more granulated sugar).
• Cornstarch: This thickens the filling nicely. For fresh fruit, use 2 tablespoons to 2 cups of fruit. If you have frozen, increase by 1/2 tablespoon.
• Lemon Juice, Salt, and Almond Extract: These make our filling taste incredible. I love the almond extract (and also call for it in my homemade blueberry pie), but you can leave it out if you don’t have any on hand.
• Egg Wash: I love these hand pies with a shiny, golden exterior, so I brush a little egg wash with an egg yolk and cream over them before baking.

Easy Blueberry Hand Pies

• PREP
  30mins
  
• COOK
  20mins
  
• TOTAL
  50mins
  

These blueberry hand pies are perfect when you want pie but don’t have the time to make a whole pie! We use store-bought puff pastry dough for these, which makes them extra easy. Before making these, make sure that your puff pastry is thawed according to the package directions. I usually take them out of the freezer and place them into the fridge overnight.

Makes 8

You Will Need

1 (17.3oz) package puff pastry sheets, thawed, 2 sheets puff pastry

2 cups fresh blueberries

1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

2 tablespoons (14g) cornstarch

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon almond extract, optional

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon cream

Coarse sugar or extra granulated sugar for topping pies

Directions

1Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

2Prepare blueberry filling: Combine blueberries, 1/4 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, and the optional 1/8 teaspoon of almond extract in a saucepan over medium heat.

3Cook, stirring often, until the liquid at the bottom comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until it thickens. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature (to speed this up, stir it occasionally and place into the refrigerator).

4Make egg wash: Whisk an egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of cream in a small bowl. Set aside.

5Prepare pie crusts: When the filling is mostly cooled down. Unfold one of the thawed puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured work surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 12-inch square. Cut into four 6-inch squares. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet. Transfer pastry squares to the baking sheets.

6Assemble hand pies: Divide the filling between the pastry squares, placing it onto one-half of each pastry square. Spoon any liquid accumulated on the bottom of the bowl over blueberries.

7Brush the edges of the pastry with egg wash, fold the half of pastry without filling over blueberries then use a fork to press edges and seal. Brush the tops with more egg wash and top them with a sprinkle of sugar. Cut two 1-inch slits into the top of each pie.

8Bake pies: Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and the filling is bubbling out of the slits on top. (Don’t worry. Plenty of filling is left inside.) Cool the hand pies on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

Adam and Joanne’s Tips

• Storing: Once cool, store the hand pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the fridge for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
• Using frozen blueberries: You can use frozen blueberries in this recipe. Add them frozen, but increase the cornstarch by 1/2 tablespoon (so use 2 ½ tablespoons total).
• Using cherries, strawberries, or blackberries: Use 2 cups of fresh blackberries, pitted and halved cherries, or chopped fresh strawberries. You may need to increase the sugar by 1 tablespoon for blackberries unless they are very ripe and sweet.
• The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.

Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1 Hand Pie
/
Calories
396
/
Total Fat
24g
/
Saturated Fat
6.2g
/
Cholesterol
24.1mg
/
Sodium
188.5mg
/
Carbohydrate
40.9g
/
Dietary Fiber
1.8g
/
Total Sugars
10.5g
/
Protein
5.1g

AUTHOR:

Joanne Gallagher

We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us

Previous Post: Perfect Ricotta Gnocchi
Next Post: Homemade Berry Tart