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
- Combine lemon juice and ice water and set aside.
- 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.
- Divide dough in half, flatten into 1⁄2-inch-thick discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Filling
- In a large bowl, mix the blueberries with the lemon juice.
- In another medium-sized bowl, stir together sugar, tapioca, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice until combined. Gently stir in blueberries until well coated.
- Melt butter, stir in marmalade, then stir into blueberry mixture. Let take.
pie assembly
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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