Blueberry Pie

This year, the blueberries were the first plant to produce fruit in our garden. It started with one delicious handful a day, then quickly turned into bowls full of fruit every other day. We ate them plain, on yogurt, made jam, and made this blueberry pie for dessert. Blueberry pie is one of my all time favorite desserts, and this one is packed with juicy homegrown blueberries and a sweet crispy crumb topping.

The filling is simple, with very little added to the fruit so the blueberries really shine. The crumb gives a little bit of sweet crunch, and looks extra pretty with blueberry juice oozing through the top. A slice of pie after dinner on the patio is my idea of the perfect ending to a summer day.

Blueberry Crumble Pie

adapted from Epicurus 
  
One single pie crust. I use America's Test Kitchen fool proof pie crust.

Filling :

2/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

5 cups (1 pound 10 ounces) fresh blueberries

Topping

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly

Use a 9"–9 1/2"-diameter glass or metal pie dish. You will need pie weights or dried beans to bake the crust.

preparation

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 13" round. Transfer to pie dish, gently pressing dough onto bottom and up sides of dish. Fold overhang under and crimp edges decoratively. Pierce bottom of crust in several places with a fork, then chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Line a large baking sheet with foil and place on a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375°F. Line crust with parchment paper or foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until crust is set, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove parchment and pie weights. Bake until crust is pale golden, about 12 minutes longer. Transfer crust to a wire rack; let cool.

Filling:

Whisk 2/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Add blueberries and lemon juice; toss gently to coat and evenly distribute. Let filling stand, tossing occasionally, until berries release their juices, 20-30 minutes.**

 Topping:

Whisk flour, remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Add melted butter; mix topping with fingertips to blend.

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 375°. Spoon blueberry filling into crust, then sprinkle topping over. Bake pie until filling is bubbling and topping is golden, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cover with foil after 30 minutes if browning too fast.

**Use cook pie crust and frozen blueberries by weight. If using frozen blueberries precook filling on stove top until filling comes to a boil.

printable recipe

Link:Foodie Friday