Crust: 1 ¼ cup of flour 1 Tablespoon of sugar 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) of butter 3 Tablespoons of cold water Filling: 1 pint of blueberries 1 ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch ¼ teaspoon arrowroot (if you don’t have arrowroot, use more cornstarch) 2 ½ tablespoons of sugar ¼ ounce of lemon juice Extra: Sugar Egg | Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 8 minutes to cook berries Bake Time: 20 minutes or until golden brown |
First, start by making the pie dough. Cube the stick of butter. Cubing will make it easier to mix the butter into the filling. Using a food processor, add the flour, sugar, cubes of butter, and cold water. Pulse the mixture until it starts to come together. It should look like crumbs but when you squeeze the crumbs between your fingers, it should stick together. Dump the dough onto a cutting board and knead it together. If the dough is too loose, add a little more water. If it is too wet, add more flour. Do not over knead it. Once you can form a ball with the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. This amount of dough can be used as a base and top for a traditional pie.
To start the filling, put 1 pint of blueberries into a pot (at least a 2 ½ quart pot). With your hands, carefully, crush the blueberries. This will get messy but as the professionals say, “hands are your best tools”. Crush about ¾ of the blueberries. They will eventually cook down but this will help speed the process.
Once you have crushed the berries, turn the pot on medium heat. Add the cornstarch, arrowroot (if you have it), sugar, and lemon juice. If you don’t have arrowroot, add more cornstarch. Stir everything together. Continue stirring as the mixture heats up.
The ingredients I listed can be adjustable. You can always add more but you can’t take away. If you prefer a sweeter filling, add more sugar. If the mixture doesn’t appear to be thickening, add more cornstarch or arrowroot. The mixture should come together in about 8 minutes. It should not be a liquid but it should not be as thick as jelly/jam. I would describe the texture as pudding; thick enough to be scooped onto a spoon but not so thick that it doesn’t slide off. Also, once you take the mixture off the heat, it will slightly thicken even more.
You can also use different fruit, like cherries and blackberries. Strawberries would be great; just use less sugar. Apples can also work. You should cut them into small cubes, cook the mixture longer with brown sugar (instead of white sugar), and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Yum!
Let the mixture cool completely before filling the pies. By this time, the dough should also be cold. Sprinkle flour onto a cutting board and rolling pin. Cut the dough in half and roll it out to a ¼ of an inch.
I used what’s called a “Cut-and-Seal”. It cuts the dough in a circle, while sealing the edges of the dough. After rolling out the dough, cut it in half. On one half of the dough, I lightly press the cut-and-seal on the dough to leave an outline. I use the outline as a guide to put the filling in. Use about two tablespoons of filling and be careful to not overfill. Once you put the filling in the outlines, use the other half to cover the dough with filling. Use the cut-and-seal by pressing down to create the pie.
You can also create a rustic pie. Cut circles or squares in the dough, put the filling in the middle, and just roll up the edges for crust.
I was able to make six small round pies and one rustic pie. I also had some filling left over. In another blog, I write about what you can do with the extra filling.
Once your pies are created, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (makes for easy clean-up). Cut a small “X” in the middle of the pie. This will let the heat and air escape. If you don’t cut a hole, the pie could explode in the oven (causing a mess!). Brush the top of the pie crust with a beaten egg. Then sprinkle with a tiny amount of sugar. This will create a golden, crispy crust.
Bake the pies at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Enjoy the pies warm or cold, with whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream!