Blueberry pie – not only is it insanely delicious and a classic recipe fit for the most gilded culinary palate – it’s also made from one of the most healthful items on the planet.
Yes, blueberries are the supreme super-fruit, rich in vitamins and anti-oxidants – please do note that my recipe calls for wild blueberries, not domesticated. They have a superior taste and texture, though smaller than the typical supermarket blueberry. They are available frozen in many supermarkets – try them, the taste difference is truly substantial. FYI – blueberry pie made with wild Maine blueberries is the official state dessert of the proud U.S. state of Maine.
Indulge yourself, Citizens – you’ll thank me for it. 😀
My recipe is superior for several reasons – it calls for wild blueberries, it incorporates several citrus zests in the crust for additional taste, and uses both spices and lime juice in the filling to complement the berries.
Enjoy – and prepare for the accolades from your satisfied (and lucky) friends and family! Serve with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream for the ultimate experience and know the true taste of Summer, but enjoyed anytime!
Battle on – The Generalissimo
PrintThe Hirshon Blueberry Pie
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
- Total Time: 0 hours
Ingredients
- Crust (make 2 batches if you want a lattice crust):
- 1½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons grated lemon rind
- 1½ teaspoons grated tangerine or orange rind
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon Crisco
- ¼ cup butter, cut into small pieces
- 3 tablespoons ice water
- ***
- Blueberry Filling:
- 5 cups (about 2½ pints) defrosted or fresh wild blueberries (not domesticated – WILD), picked over and stems discarded, rinsed
- ¾ cup plus 2 Tbs. sugar
- Pinch salt
- ¼ cup potato starch or potato flour
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon mace
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 Tb. butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
- Purée 1 cup of the blueberries in a food processor fitted with the metal blade; set aside.
- Whisking constantly, bring the sugar, salt, starch and water to a very thick paste over medium-low heat in a large saucepan. As mixture thickens and starts to stick to pan bottom, whisk in blueberry purée and bring to a simmer. Pour thickener over remaining blueberries and stir to combine.
- Make crust:
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- In large bowl, sift flour, sugar, and salt.
- Stir in grated rinds.
- Cut in shortening and butter with pastry blender until mixture is size of small peas.
- Sprinkle with ice water, one tablespoon at a time. Mix lightly until dough holds together.
- Knead and shape into a ball. Wrap and chill while preparing filling and topping.
- If you want a lattice crust on top of the pie, make another batch of dough as above.
- Make filling and assemble pie:
- Roll out pastry and fit into 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, combine 1 cup of the blueberries, the cornstarch and water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until mixture thickens and is clear. Stir in butter; cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining blueberries and the lime juice and spices; cool. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour cooled filling into one pie shell. If using a lattice crust, lay the remaining rolled out dough on wax paper; cut seven ¾-inch wide strips; arrange in a criss-cross pattern on top of blueberries, pressing ends into the edges of the bottom crust.
- Combine egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and cornstarch. Brush top crust with egg mixture. Place pie on a cookie sheet. Bake in the bottom third of the oven until crust is golden and filling gently bubbles, about 30 minutes. Cool on a rack; serve warm.
Nutrition
- Calories: 769.5 kcal
- Sugar: 45.49 g
- Sodium: 341.5 mg
- Fat: 32.24 g
- Saturated Fat: 13.65 g
- Trans Fat: 2.69 g
- Carbohydrates: 115.8 g
- Fiber: 9.47 g
- Protein: 5.68 g
- Cholesterol: 74.66 mg
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