Recipe: Catahoula Sweet-Dough Pies (turnovers with blackberry filling)

CATAHOULA SWEET-DOUGH PIES

FOR THE PIE DOUGH:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1/4 cup plus 5 tablespoons sugar, divided use
1 egg
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole mild or half-and-half, divided use
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FOR THE FILLING:
3 cups blackberries, fresh or frozen
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Turbinado sugar* or additional granulated sugar (for sprinkling on tops)

TO PREPARE THE DOUGH:
Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Cream the butter, shortening and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar together, beating with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy and light, about 5 minutes.

Reduce mixer speed to medium and beat in the egg, 1/4 cup of milk and vanilla; then add about half the flour mixture, beating it in before adding the rest. Stop as needed to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Scrape the dough from the bowl and pat it out into an inch-thick disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. (The dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to several days. Let it sit briefly at room temperature before proceeding.)

WHILE THE DOUGH CHILLS, PREPARE THE FILLING:
In a small heavy saucepan combine two cups of blackberries with the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until the berries have broken down and are very thick and jam-like in consistency, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the juiciness of the berries. Stir in the remaining cup of berries and remove from the heat. (The filling can be made up to several days head, covered and refrigerated.)

TO MAKE AND BAKE THE PIES:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a generous 1/4-inch thickness. Cut the dough into squares or circles about 4 inches across. Spoon 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle of each section of dough, then fold one half of the dough over the other and pinch to make a tight seal. (A few cracks in the dough's surface are common, but, if dough cracks badly when forming the turnovers, reroll the dough just a bit thicker.) Crimp neatly with your fingers or the tines of a fork.

Move the pies with a dough scraper or a spatula to avoid tearing the dough. Brush each turnover with some of the remaining 2 tablespoons milk, then sprinkle with turbinado or granulated sugar. Arrange the turnovers at least 1/2 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until set and just slightly colored. Cool the turnovers on the cookie sheet for several minutes; then finish cooling them on baking racks. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Turbinado sugar is partially refined, coarse cane sugar, light-tan to brown, tasting slightly of molasses. Health food stores may have it, or you can use organic unrefined cane sugar

Makes 12 to 14 individual turnovers
Adapted from source: American Home Cooking by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison