It's been far too long since I've made a pie for the monthly challenge from the creative bakers at You Want Pies With That? I decided there was absolutely no way I was going to sit out again in September. So I checked to see what fiendishly delectable theme had been chosen for this month, only to discover that Amy of Sing For Your Supper had selected football.
Football?
The American kind with sweaty, grunting 350 lb athletes in helmets and shoulder pads? Oh, yeah, I was out of my league.
I decided that if I was breaking out the rolling pin for a sport, then I was going to head home to my roots. I may be a Floridian now, but I grew up in Minnesota. For generations, my family's cheered the Vikes on to countless defeats. It's time to show some purple pride!
Clearly, blueberries were called for. Unfortunately, I came up about a cup short from what's listed below, but don't hold that against my pastry pillager! The mustache of glory hides many sins, and virtually all emotions. (He's Scandinavian, so you shouldn't expect him to share his feelings, anyway. But isn't that a handlebar to make Tom Selleck weep?)
Blueberry Pie
Crust:
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 C non dairy margarine (i.e. Earth Balance)
4 to 6 Tbs cold water
Filling:
1/2 C water
3/4 C granulated sugar
1/4 C corn starch
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
4 C blueberries
zest and juice of one lemon
Whiz up the flour and salt in a food processor. Cut up the margarine into little cubes, then send it for a spin as well. Add cold water by tablespoons until dough clumps up. Divide in half, shape into two discs, then cover in plastic wrap and stick in the fridge for half an hour.
Combine water, sugar, corn starch, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small saucepan. Whisk until smooth, then place on medium high heat. Bring to a boil while continuing to stir. As soon as the mixture begins bubbling, remove from heat and place to side to cool. Mix into blueberries and lemon before pouring into crust.
After chilling dough for half an hour, preheat oven to 425F. Remove first disc and roll out on a piece of wax paper to between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Gently turn into a 9 inch pie pan. Pour blueberry mixture into pan. Roll out second disk, and use as desired to top pie. (Options include, but are not limited to, lattice, cookie cutter shapes or your favorite copyrighted professional sports logo.)
Place pie pan on a cookie sheet and bake at 425F for 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350F and bake for another 35 to 45 minutes.
Fingers crossed...
...until out of the oven! (Remember, crack is whack.)
10 comments:
It didn't help that they lost to the Saints again!
Wow, this is amazing! What a cool way to make the topping on the pie...looks awesome! :)
Wow fancy! That is one impressive crust.
It's beautiful!! :)
That's some impressive pastry art! And it looks tasty too!
Wow..I am super impressed and love your added humor! Crack is whack for sure...
Hi Libby ~
As a fellow Minnesota native and Vikings sufferer, er, FAN, I love your artistry! I'm inspired. Think mixing in lingonberries would work okay? Thanks for another great post.
Thanks, everyone!
Elizabeth, I'm sure that lingonberries would work very well in the pie, and make it even more Scandinavian! (My King Arthur baking book lists them together in their little fruit pie chart.) I would dial back the lemon, though, and be sure to taste the filling to check the proportion of sugar. If you have a favorite pie crust recipe that works well for you, go right ahead and sub it in for the one I'm using, which has to be dairy free. Let me know how it turns out!
What a creative and original idea for a topping.
Libby,
I took Randy Moss' arrival back to our fav team as an opportunity to try your great pie. It's not as photogenic as yours (and the crazy purple fans dug in quickly), but your recommendations were spot on (I did add a little more sugar). A YUMMY creation. Thanks much.
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