A Scrumptious Blueberry Pie to Celebrate the Final Days of Summer
The summer is almost over. That sentence makes most people sad, but not me! I do not like the summer heat. I live for fall. It's the best season. It means apple cider, Halloween, donuts, beautiful foliage, and the Scituate Art Festival. What more could a girl ask for?
We were invited to a cookout with our family this weekend, and I was tasked with bringing dessert. I was going to make a nice cinnamon bundt cake, but then I realized - I never had blueberry pie this summer! It's one of my absolute favorite things. I figured it's still technically summer despite the cooler weather, so I'd have one last summer hurrah and make a beautiful pie.
Summery Blueberry Pie
Servings: 8 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients:
1 Box Pillsbury Pie Crust (contains 2 crusts)
4-6 cups blueberries
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
3 tbs. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbs. butter, cut into tiny pieces
1 Tbs. milk, OR 1 egg
Directions:
First, take one sheet of the Pillsbury pie crust and roll it into the bottom of your favorite 9 inch pie dish. Gently press the dough into the dish without stretching it or poking holes in it. Trim the edge of the dough, but leave a bit of overhang. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the blueberries and lemon juice and gently mix so the blueberries are evenly coated. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, salt and cinnamon. Once combined, sprinkle over the blueberries a little bit at a time and stir until all the berries are evenly coated. Dump the blueberry mixture into your pie dish, and place butter pieces evenly over the top of the berry mix.
Next is my favorite part - the top crust! You can take the easy route and lay the second half of the pie dough over the top of the pie. Pinch together the edges, and make sure you cut a few holes in the top of the pie for venting while cooking. OR! You can get creative! Take your favorite cookie cutter like I did and make a fancy crust for the top. I saw this video a few weeks ago and was so inspired:
Once I've got my pie crust how I want it, I like to put a milk wash over the crust so that it'll brown nicely in the oven. You can also use egg instead of milk if you want it to be both browned and a little bit "shiny." Your choice! Pour 1 tbs milk or 1 egg in small dish. Using pastry brush, lightly coat the crust with the wash. Make sure the liquid doesn't pool anywhere on the crust.
Preheat the oven to 375, and put your pie in the fridge to let it cool so the dough firms before you put it in the oven. Once the oven has preheated, place the pie on the middle rack and bake 50 to 60 minutes until the filling is thick and bubbling. Let the pie cool for 1 to 2 hours before serving.
If, like me, you don't plan to serve the pie right away, you can reheat it in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes just before serving. This pie goes great with some vanilla ice cream, by the way.
Did you get creative with your crust? Share below!!
Adapted from Williams Sonoma recipe.
