Gluten Free Blueberry Toaster Pastries

Step 1

To prepare the pastry dough, in a large bowl, mix together the gluten-free flour and salt. Add the cubed chilled butter and using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture has pea-sized crumbs. Two knives can also be used if a pastry blender is not available. In a measuring cup, measure out ½ cup of water and add some ice to it. Add the ice water once tablespoon at a time and stir mixture with a rubber spatula. Add enough ice water until the dough starts to clump together and there are not any visible dry ingredients. Transfer the mixture to a work surface and with your hands work the dough to form a ball. Cut the ball in half and form each into a disk. Wrap each disk of dough with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour. 

Step 2

While the dough is in the refrigerator, prepare the blueberry filling. In a medium sized saucepan, add blueberries, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Stir with a rubber spatula to combine ingredients. Over medium heat, bring mixture to a boil. Once at a boil, lower the heat and simmer (while stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula) until most of the liquid has evaporated. This should take approximately 25 minutes. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Mix with a small spoon or spatula until smooth. While stirring blueberry filling, add cornstarch slurry and mix well. Cook for approximately 2 more minutes until the filling is clear. The filling can also be tasted; there should not be a raw starchy taste. Transfer filling to a bowl and cover with a piece of plastic wrap; this will eliminate a “skin” on the top of the filling. Place finished filling in the refrigerator and chill until ready to assemble the pastries. 

Step 3

To make the egg wash, in a small bowl, whisk together the whole egg and the 2 teaspoons of milk. Whisk to combine. Set egg wash aside until ready to use. To form the pastries, remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured work surface. Take the first disk of the dough and roll out with a rolling pin to a 16x16-in square. The dough should be approximately 1/4-in thick. With a sharp knife or pastry cutter, cut the dough in half lengthwise and then cut in half the other direction. Once cut in half, cut each side in half again; this way there will be 8 total squares. This will be the bottoms of the pastries. Place the dough squares on a parchment lined sheet pan and set pan aside or in the refrigerator if the kitchen is very warm. Roll and cut the second disk of dough in the same manner as the first. These 8 squares will be the tops of the pastries. 

Step 4

Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the blueberry filling from the refrigerator and the sheet pan from the refrigerator also if it was being chilled. Using a tablespoon, scoop approximately 2 ½ tablespoons of the blueberry filling in the center of each square. The filling can be lightly evened out, but it is not necessary. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the egg wash around the sides of the pastries; this will help the tops to stick. Place the dough on top of the filled squares. Lightly press down with fingers to help seal the pastries. Using a fork, press down along the sides of the pastry to seal and make the decoration. The sides can be cleaned up with a knife if desired to make more of a cleaner look. Place the pastries on a sheet pan so the eight squares fit on the pan. Place pan back in the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes. If the sheet pan is not large enough, two prepared sheet pans can be used. 

Step 5

Remove pastries from the refrigerator and brush tops with egg wash. Using the tines of a fork, make a few pricks on the tops of the pastries to let any steam escape. Bake pastries for 20 minutes, or until the pastry looks dry and all have a golden-brown color. Remove baked pastries from the oven and set aside on a cooling rack to cool while the glaze is mixed. 

Step 6

To prepare glaze, sift powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add blueberry powder and salt. Stir to combine. While using a whisk, and stirring, add the vanilla extract and enough milk to make a spreadable icing. If too much milk is added, the glaze will run off of the pastries. 

Step 7

Top each of the baked pastries with 2 tablespoons of the glaze. A small off-set spatula or butter knife can be used to spread out the glaze. Top each pastry with a pinch of the blueberry powder. Let sit for a few minutes to let the glaze dry and harden. The finished pastries can be placed on a platter or plate.