It's blueberry season around here. You can even pick your own. I'm going to give it a try but either early in the morning or after the sun peaks. Meanwhile, I purchased a quart or more already picked. Made an experiment with Blueberry Custard pie last night. Decided to make two - double the fun. And needed to try out my new oven to see how even and hot it gets. I'm also trying to work out the choreography in this kitchen; it takes a while to get your moves right.
I'm going to give you the recipe for the pie but only if you ask. Why? Because I'm too lazy right now and I'm waiting for some friends to come by and eat the pie and I've got to make some tea. IF YOU WOULD LIKE THIS RECIPE WRITE SOMETHING IN THE COMMENTS AND I WILL RESPOND.
Without being specific, I made a crust the usual way, flour, butter, bit of water. I bought salted butter in error and it might have helped frankly because the crust is about the flakiest I've ever made.
I used about a quart and more of blueberries. It looked like a lot in the bowl but once I put them into the pie shell it was only one layer, which turned out to be enough.
I sprinkled the blueberries with a bit of flour and arrowroot powder. By a bit I mean about a tablespoon full.
Then I prepared a custard with creme fraiche, sugar (the white stuff), an egg, well 2 eggs since I was making two, and also about a tablespoon of toasted and ground up almonds and hazelnuts, plus a capful of vanilla extract. I make my own vanilla extract with vanilla strips and vodka. It takes about 3 months but after that you just pour in more vodka. Mix well.
Roll out the pie dough really thin. Really. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the bottom of the pie in the oven, having pricked it with a fork in several places, and bake for about 8 minutes. Take out and put on a rack to cool for about 10 minutes.
Roll out some of the dough meanwhile and cut into strips.
Then put the blueberries in, spread them around, pour the custard over. Cross-hatch the strips over the top of the pie. I also put some around the edge...you'll see in the photo. I baked it over 30 minutes...until golden as it appears. The blueberries and the custard mingled together to form a whole.
The thing that is interesting, and surprising to me, about this pie is that the bottom crust is crispy. It might be because of being so thin. I tasted it after it cooled and then again in the morning thinking it would be soggy, but it was still crispy. So no more guey cornstarchy gloppy pie!
Here are the photos:
Here is the recipe:
Blueberry Custard Pie
Pre-heat
oven to 400° F.
Pie
Crust
1-1/2
cups flour
1-1/2
sticks salted butter, cold and cut into pieces
3-6
tablespoons ice cold water
Place
the flour in a food processor and buzz a couple of times. Add the butter and
buzz until just flaky. Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time. If the flour
is dry you will need
all 6
tablespoons. Take out on to a floured board. The dough should be slightly most
and
pliable.
Knead together and mound into a disc about 6 inches by 1-1/2 inches high. Wrap
in plastic or waxed paper and put into the freezer for about 10 minutes or the
refrigerator up to overnight.
Roll
out the rest of the dough and cut strips with a zig-zag cutter or a knife.
The
Filling
2 cups
fresh blueberries
1
tablespoon flour
1
tablespoon arrowroot powder
Wash
the blueberries and put into a bowl. Toss with the flour and arrowroot.
The
Custard
1/3 cup
crème fraiche
¼ cup
sugar
1 egg
1
tablespoon hazelnuts
1
tablespoon almonds
½
teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Heavy
Cream or 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Toast
the nuts. You can use a cast-iron pan. Put them into a coffee grinder reserved
for everything but coffee. Or if you have ground nuts, use them. Grind to a
powder or paste.
Mix all
the ingredients together with a whisk.
Take
the pie dough out of the freezer and place on a flour sprinkled surface. Divide
in half. Roll out to a very thin circle large enough for your pie pan. Place
into the pie pan by rolling it up on the rolling pin and then unrolling it into
the pan. Press down the sides and prick the bottom with a fork in several
places. Place into the preheated oven on a sheet pan and back about 8-10
minutes. Take out and let cool on a rack for about 10 minutes.
Put the
blueberries into the pre-baked shell. Pour the custard over. Place the dough
strips across the top in a lattice and place some strips around the
circumference of the pie, pressing down so that they stick. Brush some cream or
an egg mixed with water over the dough.
Place
in the middle of the oven on a sheet pan. Bake about 40 minutes or until the
dough is golden and the custard and berries have set.
