Summer is almost here…however, it sure doesn’t feel like it in Chicago right now. To trick myself into believing it, I decided to bake a homemade blueberry pie last weekend. This is the perfect pie for a Memorial Day picnic or a 4th of July celebration! Plus, Trent loves fruit pies, especially a homemade blueberry pie. A win in the wife department for me. Wow, I kinda feel like I just went back to 1950…don’t worry ladies, he did the dishes.
When in search of the perfect recipe, I head over to Pinterest. This is where I found “Sally’s Baking Addiction“. She has so many yummy recipes on her blog. I want to try them all!
Any who, back to pie. Once I found the perfect recipe, to the market I went. I made sure to get some riper blueberries so the pie was nice and sweet. Cinnamon is also in this recipe which gives the pie an extra bit of sugar and spice and everything nice.
Now on to the step that most people dread, (Cue gloom and doom music) HOMEMADE PIE CRUST…I do try to always make my own unless I am in a pinch for time. In that case, I use Immaculate Pie Crust. I promise, it’s not hard, it just takes a little time and practice. This is the recipe I use most. There are a lot of pie crust recipes out there that claim to be the easiest yet. You really need to find what is easiest for you. They all seem to be a little different. One uses butter, another margarine. Some use more water than others…it just really depends.
Now on to the good stuff…here is everything you will need when heading to the market with the instructions below.
This is one of the best recipe’s I have tracked down. Let me know what you think or if you have any amazing pie recipes I need to indulge in.
Happy baking!
Ingredients:
- Pie Crust (Homemade or store bought)
- 6 cups (890g) blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw)
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (28g) cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon (15g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
- optional: coarse sugar for garnish
Directions:
- The crust: Prepare pie crust or buy ahead.
- Make the filling: Stir the blueberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Set filling aside as the oven preheats.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9×2 inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Spoon the filling into the crust, leaving any excess liquid in the bowl (you don’t want that in the filling– discard it). Dot the pieces of butter on top of the filling.
- Arrange the lattice: Remove the other disc of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a circle that is 12 inches diameter. Using a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut strips 1-2 inches wide. Carefully thread the strips over and under one another, pulling back strips as necessary to weave. Press the edges of the strips into the bottom pie crust edges to seal. Use a small knife to trim off excess dough. Crimp the edges with a fork, if desired. (Alternatively, you can simply cover the filling with the 12-inch pie dough circle. Cut slits in the top to form steam vents. Trim and crimp the edges. Or a crumble or streusel topping would be great as well.)
- Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with the egg/milk mixture. Sprinkle the top with a little coarse sugar, if desired.
- Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 350°F (177°C) and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly.
- Allow the pie to cool for 3 full hours at room temperature before serving. This time allows the filling to thicken up. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
