June 26, 2010

IT'S BLUEBERRY SEASON!


Yes, time to put the book down you're reading and go pick some berries from your local grower. This week we picked about six pounds and enjoyed an awesome pie for our labor.

Below is my blueberry recipe that won a bake-off some years ago, but now I like it even better since I changed the topping and added pure vanilla. Some of my Facebook friends are giving it a whirl and they say it's the best ever, too!

Danielle's Blueberry Pie w/ Cinnamon Crumble Topping

*1 unbaked pastry pie shell

FILLING:
1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of orange peel
3 cups of fresh blueberries
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 tablespoon of butter

TOPPING:
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 cup of butter

In a mixing bowl combine sugar, flour, orange peel, and pinch of salt. Add blueberries to mixture and toss gently to coat. (I mash some, about a cup's worth, before hand.) Pour the flour-coated blueberries into the pie shell in its pie pan. Drizzle over the lemon juice, vanilla and dot with cut up pieces of butter.

For topping, using the empty mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar and cinnamon together until well blended. Cut in the butter and with a fork or using your fingers, work it in until you have a fine powder. Sprinkle the crumbled topping over the blueberries. Fold down bottom pie pastry shell along the edges and seal over the crumbled topping.

Bake at 375 for 40 to 45 minutes.

(You can use a second pie shell pastry to cover over the top of the berries instead of the crumbled topping, but make sure to add the cinnamon to the blueberry mixture.)


*Pie Shell Pastry
1 1/4 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup of shortening (Crisco Butter-Flavored recommended)
3 to 4 tablespoons of COLD water

Stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles small peas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of water over at a time and toss with a fork. Repeat until mixture is a moist dough ball. Roll out in to about a 12-inch circle on a floured surface, then place in pie pan.

4 comments:

Amy DeTrempe said...

Sounds wonderful. I will have to share this with my husband. He loves pie. I mean, he really, really loves pie. And, is the one who makes the crusts and the pies in our house. Oh, I can make a pie, I just can't make a crust and gave up long ago. It is better left in the hands of the expert.

DanielleThorne said...

Oh, I hope he enjoys this one. And I feel the same way about making crusts--I can do it in a pinch, but I sure don't prefer to!

kellyabell said...

This looks yummy. I go pick blueberries every year and freeze them. I also made blueberry preserves this year. Oh man is it good! (Even if I do say so myself!) LOL

Kelly
www.kellyabellbooks.com

DanielleThorne said...

Kelly, I'd LOVE to get your blueberry preserves recipe. And instructions, too. I've only canned once--I hope you can freeze them!