Recipe of the Sunday: blueberry pie wins praise every time

Every home baker needs a must-have pie recipe in their repertoire. While the apple can get a lot of the fanfare, the blueberries pack that perfect punch of sweet-yet-tart flavor that bursts in your mouth with every bite.

“Ginger n’ Spice Bubbling Blueberry Pie” is not only the official pie of the US Highbush Blueberry Council, but also a winner of America’s Best Blueberry Pie contest. This recipe, courtesy of Barbara Estabrook and the US Highbush Blueberry Council, is a sweet way to celebrate National Blueberry Pie Day or enjoy a dessert any time of the year.

Bubbling Ginger Spice Blueberry Pie

For 8 people

Crust
2½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon of salt
10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed (1⁄4-inch-thick cubes)
½ cup chilled all-vegetable shortening
3½ tablespoons ice water
½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 egg white, beaten to a foam (divided use)

Filling
4½ cups fresh blueberries (room temperature)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¾ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup instant or quick-cook tapioca, ground
2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
½ tablespoon turbinado raw cane sugar

Crust

1. Combine lemon juice and ice water and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Cut butter and shortening with a pastry blender until a coarse flour forms. Sprinkle half of the water/lemon mixture over the flour mixture; stir with a fork. Add the remaining half, stirring until the dough begins to form a ball.
3. Divide dough in half, flatten into 1⁄2-inch-thick discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Filling

1. In a large bowl, mix the blueberries with the lemon juice.
2. In another medium-sized bowl, stir together sugar, tapioca, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice until combined. Gently stir in blueberries until well coated.
3. Melt butter, stir in marmalade, then stir into blueberry mixture. Let take.

pie assembly

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll a disc of chilled dough into a 13-inch circle. Put the dough in a 9 inch pie plate. Cut the overhang 3⁄4 inch from the edge. Brush the bottom and sides of the dough with egg white. Reserve the remaining egg white. Put the lined plate in the freezer.
3. Roll the second chilled disc on a lightly floured surface into a 13-inch circle, then cut into 1-inch-wide strips with a rolling pin.
4. Retrieve the pie plate and pour the filling, bulging slightly towards the center. Weave strips of dough over the filling to form a lattice top. Seal, cut and crimp the edge. Brush the reserved egg white over the dough. Sprinkle evenly with sugar.
5. and magpie on lined sheet. Bake 18 minutes at 425 F. Reduce heat to 375 F. Bake 50 minutes or until pie is bubbling. Cool on a wire rack. Top with vanilla ice cream.

The article and photo above were licensed by Metro Creative Graphcis.