The neighbor Elaine’s blueberry pie....adapted from home to home as it has been passed along.
Blueberries. Sweet. A super food. Fresh and juicy in the heat of summer. (Also good for freezing for winter, but that is for another day…) Blueberry is second only to apple pie based on what my family had regularly growing up.
True confessions - I do not like traditional pie crust. I will rarely choose pie for dessert. I find traditional crust
to bland and texturally uninteresting in both sweet and savory preparations. I make crustless quiche and the only recent pot pie I have had was in London because...well, because I was in London. The gravy on the pie did help. ;)
But if you want to talk about pie with an alternative crust - I AM LISTENING. Now a graham cracker crust (or a strudel or cinnamon oat crumble topping) - that is what I am talking about.
Elaine is a friend of our summer neighbor. Last summer she brought this blueberry pie and we have been talking about it and making it ever since. It is easy to prepare - and the crust could be made in a toaster oven, so you don't have to turn the larger oven on. The pie is served cold, which adds to the refreshing summer quality.
Here's what to do:
Graham cracker crust (adapted from Fannie Farmer. In Fannie, we trust.)
1 ½ cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
6 tbsp butter, melted
Steps:
Mix crumbs and sugar together.
Add melted butter. Mix with a fork.
Press mixture into a 8-9” pie plate.
Bake 350 for 8-10 minutes.
Cool completely before filling.
Blueberry pie filling
¾ cup sugar - but you can take it down to ½ cup with fresh berries
3 tbsp cornstarch
⅛ tsp salt
¼ cup water
5 cups fresh blueberries, divided
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
Steps:
Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and water in a medium saucepan.
Stir over med heat until smooth.
Add 3 cups of berries and bring to a slow boil. Cook and stir for two minu
tes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove from the heat.
Add butter, lemon juice and remaining berries (or save blueberries whole to put on top once cool).
Stir until butter is just melted. Do not over stir.
Cool completely.
Pie Assembly
Pour cooled filling into cooled graham cracker crust.
Top with the raw blueberries.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes:
I had about 3 tbsp of lemon zest in the fridge (left from a different recipe), so I added with the lemon juice. I love blueberry and lemon as a couple, so will be doing this again.
I like to serve with a dollop of whipped cream. Get fancy and make your own - or the kind from the can....that's summer.
Planning to have dinner outside? This is the ideal dessert for a summer evening.
If you make it - they will like it. Buen provecho!
