A Joy of Baking

Happy 4th of July!! If you’re struggling with what to make for your family BBQ today I have JUST the idea 🙂

I am ashamed to say that I have never made a blueberry pie. I am an absolute blueberry fanatic but I always thought a blueberry pie took my favorite little fruit and turned it into a gloop of candle-flavored mush. I was soo wrong! Another reason I never made this pie is because anytime I have blueberries in the house, they don’t last very long. 😉 This week was different though.

Last Saturday my fiancé and I were driving home from the beach and as we drove through New Jersey we completely (!!!!) stumbled upon Hammonton’s Blueberry Festival!! Hammonton, NJ is the blueberry capital of the world and every year I anxiously await the start of their shipments to our local food stores in PA.  We ended up leaving the festival with an entire case – 12 pints of blueberries- and huge smiles on our faces.

A blueberry pie was the perfect solution to the perfect problem- too many blueberries! 😀

I’ve previously posted about my all-time favorite pie crust recipe and it’s the same one I’ve decided to use for this (and for every other pie I will make for the rest of my life- it’s almost too good to be true). You may look like a lunatic pulling vodka out first thing in the morning but this is critical to the recipe- your family will understand. 😉

This pie looks best with a lattice top but pies are fun because you can experiment with different designs depending on your preference/comfort level with pie dough. Because of the lattice top we will use a double pie crust variation of my all-time-favorite recipe. You will need the following ingredients, a large food processor and a mixing bowl.

Double Crust Pie Dough:

• 12 tbs unsalted butter
• 8 tbs shortening
• 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 c ice water
• 1/4 c vodka (A small disclaimer -my vodka is always in the freezer 😛 but if yours is not, you must chill your vodka before using!)

Add 1 1/2 c flour, 2 tbs sugar and 1 tsp salt to a large food processor and pulse until combined, about 5 seconds. Cut up butter and shortening into 1/4-1/2 inch chunks and add to food processor.

Pulse until no flour remains and clumps form, about 10-15 seconds.

Scrape down the sides and add the remaining 1 c flour.

Pulse 4 or 5 times until the dough just starts to clump.

Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add the liquid.

Stir together with a stiff spatula or wooden spoon until you form a dough ball.

Once dough sticks together, use your hands to flatten into a 4 inch disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. You can also freeze this dough for up to a month!! Before use, let dough soften slightly.

Once the dough is done then it’s smooth sailing! The filling is a pinch to throw together!

For the filling you will need the following ingredients.

Blueberry Pie Filling:

• 2 pints of blueberries (about 5 cups)
• 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice, strained
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 3 tbs cornstarch
• 1⁄2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1⁄2 tsp salt
• 1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbs cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Add all ingredients, except for butter, to a large a bowl.

Stir gently to coat blueberries and immediately transfer to a prepared 9-inch baking dish.

Distribute the 1 tbs of cut butter to the top of the filling before placing the lattice top.

Now you’re ready to bake! Depending on the depth of your pie dish be careful of overflow! This is a standard pie dish and did not overflow but if you’re ever in doubt throw a foil lined tray in your oven so you aren’t spending the rest of the weekend scrubbing the stove 🙂

Bake at 375 F degrees for 50-60 or until crust is golden brown. It will be tough- but let set for at least an hour! Or else this will be runny when you serve. Enjoy!