Blueberry Pie
Making a pie is the perfect way to celebrate the brief summer blueberry season. This version, topped with pastry cutouts in the shape of stars, makes a winning addition to any Fourth of July buffet, but you can make cutouts in any shape you like, either using piecrust cutters or just a paring knife. If fresh blueberries are unavailable, use frozen blueberries (without thawing them first) and increase the baking time by 10 to 15 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 2 rolled-out rounds basic pie dough
- 4 cups (1 lb./500 g) blueberries
- 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup (6 oz./185 g) granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- 3 Tbs. cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbs. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp. water
- Sanding sugar for sprinkling
Directions:
Fold 1 dough round in half and carefully transfer to a 9-inch (23-cm) pie dish. Unfold and ease the round into the pan, without stretching it, and pat it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the dish. Using kitchen scissors, trim the edge of the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch (2-cm) overhang. Fold under the excess dough and, using your thumb and fingers, decoratively flute the edges. Using a fork, gently poke holes in several places on the bottom of the crust.
Place the blueberries in a large bowl, sprinkle with the lemon juice and toss to coat evenly. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest salt and cinnamon. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the berries and toss to distribute evenly. Transfer to the dough-lined dish and dot with the butter.
Refrigerate the pie until the dough is firm, 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C).
Brush the edges of the crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake the pie until the crust is golden and the filling is thick and bubbling, 50 to 60 minutes, covering the edges with aluminum foil if they begin to brown too quickly. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool completely to set, 1 to 2 hours.
While the pie is baking, transfer the remaining dough round to a work surface and cut out shapes using decorative pie crust cutters or a paring knife. Refrigerate the cutouts until firm, 20 to 30 minutes.
Brush the cutouts lightly with some of the remaining egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, checking about halfway through the cooking time to make sure that they aren’t browning quickly (small cutouts will cook faster). Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool.
To serve, decorate the top of the pie with the decorative cutouts as desired. Cut into slices and serve. Serves 8.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen