As I venture deeper into learning to bake, I have taken on pies. My crust is pretty much mastered, but still experimenting with different fillings. Here is the attempt at Blueberry Pie. And YES the berries are from my own garden.
You will need the following ingredients:
CRUST
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter
3-4 tablespoons milk
PIE FILLING
1 heaping quart of washing fresh blueberries
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup Tapioca
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of Nutmeg
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons butter
Crust ~ Mix together the sifted the flour into sugar and salt. Using a fork or pastry masher, cut in the cold butter and 3 tablespoons of milk. Gently blend until all is just blended, Don't Over Work! Roll out onto a lightly floured surface. When large enough to cover a 9" pie pan, fold into quarters and transfer over. Unfold and press into bottom and sides of pie plate with your hands. Allow the excess to be trimmed off and crimp the edges. Save this Excess!!!
Filling ~ Mix the dry goods (cornstarch, white sugar, tapioca, cinnamon and nutmeg). Pour this mixture over the washed berries and fold gently until coated evenly. Place this mixture into the waiting crust, spreading it out over the whole pan. Sprinkle the lemon juice evenly around the pie. Disperse the butter around whole pie and do the same with the brown sugar. Crumble the excess trimmed crust and disperse as well all over the pie filling.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, checking it after 30 minutes. You will know it's ready when the crust starts turning golden and the fruit bubbles. If the crust browns faster than the fruit bubbles, then tent the pie with aluminium foil until desired results. If your oven cooks cooler than the dialed in temperature, allow the pie to cook a bit longer.
When pie is removed from the over, place it on a cooling rack. I like to set my pie in the kitchen window for additional cooling from the window. Allow to cool for at least an hour, this lets the fruit congeal nicely. Serve in bowls with a generous scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.
