Blueberry Pie – Two Ways (Part 2)
In Recipes
I’m feeling really guilty. It’s the most wonderful time of the year for local produce and I haven’t shared a recipe in almost 1 month! Greg recently told me that he read the most important thing for a successful blog is consistency in your postings… Oops. There are so many things I’ve wanted to share but I’ve barely had time to cook them let alone take the time to photograph the process. But we’ve opened a wine shop at our market! So come on in and have some free samples and hopefully you’ll forgive me for my inconsistency!
So I’m finally sharing Blueberry Pie Part 2 with you. Even though I cooked it on the same day as Part 1. This Sour Cherry Pie was the inspiration for this pie. Yes, it’s the most beautiful pie in the world and I have a long way to go. The first step in my life-long journey to master pie baking…
The crust is much different from my usual quick/simple shortening crust. For starters it’s a butter based crust. I’ve made butter crusts before and I definitely like them. They tend to be a bit more flaky and less dense than the shortening crust. I personally think they’re a bit more difficult to work with though. The other differences in this crust is that it calls for Almond Flour and eggs! Fancy.
I added lemon zest to the blueberries and sugar for the filling. I really enjoyed the lemon! But it adds a tartness to the pie which some may not appreciate. You can always leave it out or use a little less if you’re unsure of it.
Assembly is generally the same except I refrigerated the dough between each step. Apparently the key to a flaky, buttery crust is cold butter. I even refrigerated the assembled pie before putting it into the oven.
Final verdict: GREAT CRUST! It’s not as simple as my go-to shortening crust but worth the effort if you’re willing to do a little extra work. I’ll continue on my pie quest when we start picking apples :)
Blueberry Pie – Two Ways (Part 2)
- Serves One 8-inch pie
- Prep Time 2.5 hours (include inactive chill time)
- Cook Time 1 hour
Ingredients
Pie Crust
1/3 cup almond flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 large egg yolks
Filling and Assembly
All-purpose flour for surface
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch of salt
4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 large egg, beaten
Demerara sugar (for sprinkling)
Directions
In large food processor, pulse almond flour, sugar, salt and 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. (Or by hand – combine all dry ingredients, cut in butter with pastry cutter.)Whisk egg yolks with ¼ cup ice water in a small bowl and drizzle over flour mixture. Pulse, drizzling in more ice water as needed, until dough just comes together. Gently knead dough on lightly floured surface until no dry spots remain. Divide dough in half and wrap in plastic. Chill at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Let dough sit at room temperature to soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Roll out 1 dough ball into a 9-inch round. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet and chill. Repeat with second dough ball.
Combine granulated sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl, rubbing together with fingertips to release oils in zest. Whisk in cornstarch and salt until there are no lumps in cornstarch. Add blueberries and toss to coat.
Transfer 1 crust into an 8” pie plate. Add blueberry filling. Using ¾ inch diameter pastry tip, punch holes in remaining crust, covering an area just smaller than the diameter of pie dish (optional.) Place over filling. Fold edge of top crust underneath edge of bottom crust and press together to seal. Crimp as desired.
Brush top crust with egg, sprinkle with demerara sugar, vent if necessary and chill pie until crust is firm, 20-30 minutes. Bake until crust is golden, about 15-20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature for 350 degrees F until juices are bubbling and crust is deep golden brown, 45-60 minutes longer. Transfer to wire rack and let cool for at least 4 hours before slicing.
This sounds so good! Thank You!!!!