Tag: blueberry

No matter how bad things are, they can always get worse. So it’s important to stay positive, if only to minimize the damage. Baking a pie is one of the great mood fixer-uppers; and a Blueberry Cloud pie, with its lighter-than-air-texture and fresh blueberry taste, can help you bring about an emotional renovation.

The Crust

Low Sodium Snafu Pie Crust for a single crust pie

The Filling

1. 3 cups fresh blueberries
2. 1 ½ tsp fresh lemon juice
3. ½ cup granulated sugar
4. 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
5. ¼ cup water
6. 3 large egg whites
7. ⅔ cup whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 425°

Blind bake the crust for 15 minutes

Remove the pie weights and bake for 10 minutes more

Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely (like totally completely)

Toss the blueberries with the lemon juice and ¼ cup of the sugar

In a food processor, blend the berry mixture until just smooth (don’t overdo it or you’ll have a smoothie)

In a small saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over the water

Set aside, and fill a large bowl with ice and cold water

Add the blueberry puree to the gelatin and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the gelatin has dissolved

Pour the berry mixture into a metal bowl and set the bowl in the ice bath

Chill the fruit mixture, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, until it begins to thicken

Whisk the egg whites until foamy, then add the remaining ¼ cup sugar, one tablespoon at a time

Continue whisking until stiff peaks form

In another bowl, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form

Gently fold the cream into the berry mixture, ⅓ cup at a time

Pour the filling into the pie crust and chill for at least 3 hours, until set

The primaries may be ending, but a patriotic pie is always a thrillingly current event. In this election year, it’s more fashionable than ever to wrap your pie in the flag, which means a fresh, juicy tart in the colors of Old Glory (flag pin optional). Sweetest, Easiest Sweet Tart Dough Basic Pastry Cream

The Berries

1. 1 large egg, lightly beaten
2. 1 cup fresh raspberries
3. 1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 400°

Blind bake the tart dough for 20 minutes

Remove from the oven and brush the base of the tart with the egg

Return to the oven for another 10 minutes, until the eggs are brown and the base of the crust is golden

Cool on a wire rack

Whisk the cooled pastry cream and fill the tart shell

Smooth the top with a spatula

Arrange the raspberries and blueberries in a decorative pattern on top of the cream

Be sure to leave space so the pastry cream is visible

Even with the whipping cream and the sugar, this pie is a healthy alternative to the chocolate cream variety, or double chocolate brownies, or even eating too many crackers with low lactose string cheese. But, if you insist, use Splenda instead of sugar. Graham Cracker Crust for a single crust pie

Blueberry Yogurt Cream Filling

1. 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2. 3 tbs water
3. 1 cup whipping cream
4. 2 cups whole milk vanilla yogurt
5. ¼ cup granulated sugar
6. 2 cups fresh blueberries

In a small saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and set aside for a few minutes until opaque

In a large bowl, create an ice bath (cold water and ice cubes)

Cook the opaque gelatin 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly until dissolved

Chill the gelatin, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes until it begins to thicken

In a metal bowl, combine ¼ cup of the whipping cream with the thickened gelatin mixture

In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt and sugar, then set the bowl into the ice bath

With an electric mixer, beat the remaining cream into stiff peaks

Gently fold the cream and 1 ¼ cups of blueberries into the chilled yogurt and gelatin mixture

Pour the mixture into the cooled pie crust and place the remaining ¼ cup blueberries over the filling

Considering the price of fresh blueberries in March, Penelope goes for frozen berries in a big way. Except that when frozen berries thaw, they can cause the pie to go mushy. Then Penelope found this recipe that simmered the frozen blues in wine until all the extra liquid evaporated! The trick of this recipe, though (see Helpful Hint #14), is to read it through first because you don’t want people coming over at five, and find out at 4:30 you’re supposed to let the berry and wine mixture sit overnight! Penelope’s Ultimate Pie Crust for a double crust pie

The Filling

1. 6 cups frozen blueberries
2. ½ cup fruity red wine; use blueberry wine, if you can find it
3. ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
4. ¼ teaspoon allspice
5. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6. 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
7. ¼ cup brown sugar
8. ¼ teaspoon salt
9. 2 tablespoons lemon juice
10. 3 tablespoons butter, melted
11. ¼ cup all-purpose flour

Place the berries in a large saute pan

Add the wine

Simmer the berries gently, over medium-low heat, until the liquid in the bottom of the pan is syrupy; this will take about 45 minutes (who has 45 minutes, unless there’s a TV in the kitchen!)

Remove from the heat

Refrigerate the berries overnight

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the blueberries, their juice, the spices, vanilla, sugars, salt, and lemon juice, stirring to combine

Mix in the butter, then the flour

Spoon the filling into the crust

Dot with butter

Place the top crust on the fruit, squeezing together the rim of the two crusts

Turn under and crimp

Combine the egg yolk and the cream

Brush the top crust with the glaze

Freeze for 30 minutes

Preheat the oven to 375°

Bake for 30 minutes

Lay a sheet of aluminum foil gently on top, covering the entire crust

Bake for an additional 30 to 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and you can see the berries bubbling through the slits in the crust

Remove the pie from the oven, and allow it to cool to room temperature, at least 5 hours

Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired

As soon as Penelope heard about Bubby’s she said, “That’s it! We were made for each other!” Of course she hasn’t actually met Bubby, and is sure that Bubby doesn’t yet know all that he should (and soon will learn) about Penelope. But that aside, Penelope knows a pie soul mate when she sees one. A Tribeca institution, Bubby’s Pie Co., has been around since 1990. It was founded by Chef Ron Silver who, even as a twenty-eight year old chef, was devoted to American home cooking, and especially pie. In 1990, after a few months of selling only wholesale pies, Bubby’s opened as a restaurant the day after Thanksgiving, cooking for artists and movie stars, and most importantly for teamsters, plus anyone else who liked family food. Seventeen years and about a million pies later, you can find Chef Ron at Bubby’s every day with hands in the pie. In 2003 Bubby’s opened a second location in DUMBO, Brooklyn, with a spot right on the East River between the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge. You can find out more about Bubby’s at Bubby’s Pie Co., order a Bubby’s pie, buy one of Bubby’s cookbooks, or if you’re in the neighborhood (120 Hudson Street) come in and see what’s going on in the kitchen, although since the expansion you don’t have to walk though it to wash your hands before you eat.

Bubby’s Fresh Blueberry Pie With Crème Fraiche

“Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb, / Real sky-blue, and heavy, and ready to drum / In the cavernous pail of the first one to come! / And all ripe together, not some of them green / And some of them ripe! You ought to have seen!” —Robert Frost

Ingredients

Pastry for one-crust 9” pie (blind baked and golden - meaning pre-baked without any filling in it)

1. 1 tablespoon egg white
2. 1 cup crème fraiche
3. 4 cups blueberries, sorted and cleaned
4. ½ cup water
5. 2 tablespoons water + 2 tablespoons cornstarch
6. ½ cup sugar
7. 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Make crème fraiche a day in advance, (or buy some any time before the sell by date)

Make and blind-bake a pie crust

Cool crust a few minutes and, while the crust is still hot, brush the inside of the pie shell with a thin clear sheen of egg white. If any solidifies and turns white, get rid of it asap — a paper towel works well. Set aside

Rinse 4 cups of blueberries; place 3 cups of the blueberries in a mixing bowl and set aside

Place the remaining cup of blueberries in a saucepan with 1/2 cup water and bring to boil; simmer 3-4 minutes

In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch and water until smooth

Add the cornstarch and water, sugar, and lemon juice to the sauce and stir until the starchy cloudiness goes and the sauce thickens to a shiny blue-black (1 minute)

Pour the hot sauce over the fresh blueberries in bowl and stir gently until all blueberries are coated

Pour blueberries into the pie shell and let the pie rest for 2 hours at room temperature

It’ll last 2 days at room temperature, but is best the day it’s made

Serve with crème fraîche

Adapted from Bubby’s Homemade Pies Cookbook, Ronald M. Silver and Jen Bervin, 2007

On the way to her Thanksgiving dinner, Liz Walker in Hollywood, CA called Penelope with every baker’s nightmare, “My pie crust fell apart! I mean, it just shredded and wouldn’t roll out. I tried everything to stick it together, but in the end I had to run to the store and get some pre-made crusts. What did I do wrong?”Penelope didn’t know. And besides, there was so much static on the cell phone. Was the butter cold enough? Had the dough been sufficiently chilled? Did she forget any of the (four) ingredients, like the flour? Maybe if Penelope had Martha Stewart’s number. By the time Liz arrived at her dinner, the only thing they could figure out was that she had used wheat flour, and that maybe it had no interest in becoming pie crust. But that didn’t sound like wheat flour. It had always been so open minded about being substituted. Unless the wheat had some kind of chaff that didn’t let it combine with the other ingredients. If there are any opinions, theory, or actual knowledge on the wheat flour debacle, please post a comment. Liz can’t go through that again.

(Almost) Homemade Blueberry Pie

The Pie Crust

Betty Crocker Pie Crust - Purchase only! Look in the chilled food section

The Filling

1. 6 cups blueberries
2. ¾ cup sugar
3. 4 tbs quick-cooking tapioca, pulverized in a mortar (very Quentin Tarantino)
4. 2 tsp grated lemon zest
5. 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
6. ¼ tsp salt
7. 2 tbs unsalted butter
8. 1 egg, lightly beaten

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and let stand for 10 minutes

Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell

Cut the butter into small cubes and sprinkle over the berries

Cover with the top crust, fold under the rim of the bottom crust and pinch the two crusts together; crimp and flute the edge

Lightly brush the top crust with the egg

Cut 4 small steam vents in the top

Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake at 400° for 15 minutes

Reduce the heat to 350° and bake until the pie is golden and thick juices are bubbling through the steam vents, another 45 minutes

If the edges are browning too quickly, cover them with a ring of foil

Wayne Smith says the reasons his favorite pie place is Pie ‘n Burger are pies, pies and more pies. Olallieberry pie, blueberry pie, strawberry pie, cherry pie, rhubarb pie, pecan pie. And did he mention lemon meringue pie? They’re all there, and they’re all delicious. For Wayne’s money, the scrumptious fruit filling and flaky crusts are why Pie ‘n Burger has been an institution in Pasadena since 1962.The wooden plaque over the cash register says, ‘When the flag is out, we’re in.’ So when the clock strikes nine and the flag starts flying (although not always actually flying because it can get pretty sultry in Pasadena), the crowds waiting patiently outside on California Avenue are ready to salute their favorite pie. If you love pie crust that’s thick and flaky, but not too sweet, have a slice of any Pie ‘n Burger pie at the counter or take home a whole fresh berry pie or meringue pie. Wayne’s from Detroit, Michigan. Now that’s take-out. Pie ‘n Burger is at 913 East California Avenue (corner of Lake Avenue) Pasadena, California 91106. The phone is 626-795-1123, but don’t expect them to pick up on the first ring because they’re busy. Better to come in or visit their website at Pie ‘n Burger.

Classic Blueberry Pie

Penelope isn’t sure if this is the way they make it at Pie ‘n Burger, but it can’t be too far from the truth.

Penelope’s Ultimate Pie Crust for a double crust or your own favorite

1. 4½ pints blueberries
2. ¾ cup sugar
3. 2 tbs quick cooking tapioca
4. 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
5. 1 tsp finely grated lemon peel
6. 1 tsp vanilla extract
7. 2 tbs butter
8. 2 tbs whipping cream for glaze

Preheat the oven to 400°

In a large bowl, combine the berries, sugar, tapioca, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla

Let all the ingredients stand for about 15 minutes — blueberries like to mingle and soak up the other flavors

Pile the berry mixture into the bottom pie crust

Cut the butter into bits and dot the top of the fruit

Put on the top crust and make some steam vents; or cut the dough into strips and make a lattice design by putting one strip lengthwise down the middle, then one strip crossing it at a right angle.

Place the next strip lengthwise, weaving it under and over the previous strips. Go on like that, making the lattice as close or spaced as you like. (If you understand that, you’re farther ahead than Penelope was when she started making lattice crusts. Although, the pattern pretty much tells you what to do next.)

Brush the top with the whipped cream

Bake 40 minutes

If the edges or the top are getting browned too quickly, cover with foil

Bake until the filling bubbles, about 50 minutes longer

No matter who wants it right away, let the pie cool for at least 2 hours. 8 hours is better, so you might want to make it before you go to bed and hope no one wakes up for a midnight snack.