It wouldn’t be summer without at least one blueberry pie. This reliable old recipe is from my aunt who had the “white thumb” and it’s far quicker and simpler than the pastry school pie I make. More important, for those of us who like blueberry pie that’s neither runny nor solid, this is not runny, merely juicy, and holds together. It begins to set up even before going into the fridge to chill. If you’re frustrated by blueberry pies that are always too runny, this recipe might be your solution.
As a no-bake pie, it has only one crust — a timesaver — and I use a standard pate brisee made with zero trans-fat vegetable shortening. You could use a pate sucree of course, but the filling isn’t wet enough to require it. The bottom layer is raw berries (although I’d guess the hot filling poured on top cooks them a bit), making for attractive slices with something to chew and a lot of blueberry flavor. Cooking part of the filling helps it to set and produces that gorgeous jewel-tone color. The only thickener is corn starch, so vegetarians are good to go too.
Ella’s Aunt’s Blueberry Pie
1 9″ pie crust – recipe here
4 cups (1 pound/454g) fresh blueberries, divided
1 cup (7 ounces/200g) sugar
3 TB corn starch (cornflour)
1/4 tsp table salt
1 TB lemon juice
1/4 cup (2 ounces/4 TB) water
1 TB unsalted butter, cut up
Set a rack at the lowest position in the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F/190 C/Gas 5.
Line a pie plate with the pastry, prick the sides and bottom with a fork, line with aluminum foil and weight down with ceramic pie weights, beans, pennies or even a chain link dog collar. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Move to a rack and carefully lift off the foil and weights. Let cool completely.
Put half the berries into the cooled pie shell. Place the rest in a medium saucepan with the sugar, corn starch, salt, lemon juice and water. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring from time to time.
Let boil for one minute. This is necessary for the corn starch to reach its full thickening power. Some of the berries might pop like cranberries and it’s okay if they do. The mixture now should be thick, brightly colored and somewhat translucent. Add the butter and stir until melted and well-blended.
Pour onto the berries in the pie shell and let stand 15 – 20 minutes to cool slightly.
Transfer to the refrigerator and chill several hours or overnight. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Ella’s note: If I think about it in time, I like to add a small amount of ground ginger to the dry filling ingredients, a heaping 1/4 teaspoon or so.
Related posts: Pate Sucree No-bake Berry Pie Chill. And Other Pie Crust Tips
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Foolproof? Do you really mean it? ‘Cause I’m a pretty big fool about these things, but that pie looks so scrumptious, and the weather’s hot, and blueberry pie is very refreshing. Have to check out your crust recipe too. I remember my mother had a special tool she used to mix pie crust, hunh! Haven’t thought of that object in years!
MusEditions’s last blog post..Intercultural Communication
Hi, Muse! Yep, it’ll set up as long as the formula’s followed and — most important — the mixture is allowed to boil for a full minute. Without that, the cornstarch can’t do its job.
I’ll bet your mom had a pastry blender:
http://foodpluspolitics.com/2007/07/13/pie-making-tools/
I make batches in the processor but if I’m making only one, I just use my fingers to rub in the fat(s). So quick and easy and only one bowl to wash. I hate clean up!
Ella ~
Will arrowroot do as a substitute for the cornstarch? We have corn allergies to contend with here.
Now I know what I’m going to do with part of my gallon of blueberries that still are unfrozen!
I’m going to link your last couple of entries over at my “old” blog page for all the gardeners who are beginning to make noises about yields picking up. If you happen to begin getting referrals from WeatherUnderground, it’s the storm-and-hurricane site, not the… ummm… “other” WeatherUnderground”!
Linda
shoreacres’s last blog post..Bread and Roses
Hi! Yes, arrowroot should be fine here but omit the butter at the end. Arrowroot tends to turn sauces slimy when there’s dairy. Good news is, since you won’t be adding it to a hot liquid, you don’t have to bother with a slurry.
Thanks in advance for the link for those lucky enough to have a harvest. I hope today’s post, with a recap of some recipes for seasonal produce, will be useful. There are other recipes with fresh produce here too, but the ones I listed are some top favorites.
Since you’ve got a lot of fresh blueberries you could also make a fool! Just sub bluies in my recipe for raspberry fool.
Thanks again — it’s so good to hear something here helps someone.
Morning, Ella,
You not only helped, you helped with one of the best pies I’ve ever made. It worked out beautifully. Next on the list – the blueberry fool!
Luckily, I’m not the one with the corn allergies, but if I were, this would go into the “keeper” file. Your pages are just a treasure trove!
Linda
shoreacres’s last blog post..A Prayer for Yoani Sanchez
Oh, Shore, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks so much for letting me know. It means a lot.
And after the fool there’s always Blueberry Boy Bait…