How to make a Blueberry Pie Recipe

I love pies.  No, seriously, I LOVE PIES!  There are a few restaurants here in Chicago that serve nothing but pie and coffee, and it’s probably the best thing ever invented.  The coolest thing about pies is how they change throughout the year based on available seasonal produce.  From pumpkin and apple pie in the fall/winter to berry pies in the spring/summer, all of them are worthy and oh so delicious!  Why is pie so good?!  Seriously!  it’s good for dessert, good for a snack, and dang good in the morning as breakfast with coffee.  All pies are really easy to make from a skill level, they just require a little bit of time and love.  If you’ve ever wondered how to make a blueberry pie recipe, don’t fret because Blueberry pie is probably on the easier side given you just toss the blueberries around with a few ingredients and dump’em in your pie shell and you’re good!  There is something to be said though about making a homemade pie crust and serving it with fresh blueberries (and in season).

All pies need to start with good ingredients, and for me the absolutely best part of any pie is the crust.  I mean no one walks around talking about or eating just the filling.  No, they talk about the crust and just how flaky it is and perfectly complements the filling.  We use Bob’s Red Mill products for all things baking.  They have a wonderful assortment of flours, from whole wheat pastry, to artisanal pastry, rye, gluten-free, you name it, they make it and make it well.  Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Flour is seriously the best all-around flour to always have on hand in your kitchen cabinet.  It is an absolute STAPLE in our household.  I use it for the breading on fried chicken, I use it to make cakes, I use it to make breads, and of course I use it to make pie’s like this blueberry pie recipe.  It’s got enough protein to make rustic bread recipes and delicate enough to make elegant cakes.  I mean where else can you get something like that?  You can’t!

When making pie crusts it’s seriously as simple as adding your ingredients to a food processor while slowly drizzling in cold water until it becomes mealy, and the dough sticks together when you squeeze or pinch it together.  All in all, it probably takes less than 5 minutes to make the dough and roll it out.  SCORE!  The most important part of making your dough recipe is to ensure that the butter and water are ice cold, that way it will help your crust keep its shape and remain tender and flaky.  Oh yeah, quick tip for making a homemade pie crusts – use rendered back on fat, you’ll thank me later.  I know, I know that may sound crazy, but I promise every southerner will give you a round of applause if you do this.

One you have your dough, cut it in half and roll each out until it’s about 1/8” thick and then stack them in between parchment paper and chill before it’s ready to use.  It’s always good to chill the dough and let it rest before doing that final prep up and bake.  If you keep working the dough without it resting, it won’t turn out as well.  While the dough is resting this is great time to make the filling which literally consists of rinsed fresh blueberries, along with lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar and flour.  The flour is in there to act as a thickening agent with the liquid from the lemon juice as well as the blueberries.  As the pie heats up in the oven the flour and liquid will cook to help ensure the filling is thick and not runny.  Once you’ve tossed all of those things together just simply add it to your pie pan that is molded with 1 pie dough and then cover with the other rolled out pie dough.  Now at this point you can make those crinkled edges like I did or simply use a fork to press them together.  This part is totally up to you and whatever you like.  The hard part now is waiting for it to bake and cool before eating it.  It’s brutal so go get out of the house so you aren’t stuck around smelling it the whole time.  Finish this beauty off with some ice cream, whipped cream and mint and you’ve got yourself one heck of a blueberry pie!

Why is pie so good?!  Seriously!  it’s good for dessert, good for a snack, and dang good in the morning as breakfast with coffee.  All pies are really easy to make from a skill level, they just require a little bit of time and love.  Blueberry pie is probably on the easier side give you just toss the blueberries around with a few ingredients and dump’em in your pie shell and you’re good!  There is something to be said though about making a homemade pie crust and serving it with fresh blueberries (and in season).  Oh yeah, quick tip for making a homemade pie crusts – use rendered back on fat, you’ll thank me later 🙂  Try out this delicious homemade fresh blueberry pie recipe that you will be proud to serve your guests!