"It is only by following your deepest instinct that you can lead a rich life and if you let your fear of consequence prevent you from following your deepest instinct then your life will be safe, expedient and thin." - katharine butler hathaway, 1946
I haven't blogged in awhile. You could say I've gone fishing. I'm down in Florida visiting my folks and the beautiful weather has made me lazy.
ph via Perfect Pies
However, tomorrow, April 28, is National Blueberry Pie Day so I wanted to share a scrumptious pie recipe with you. It's Michele Stuart's National Pie Championship award winning blueberry pie from her book Perfect Pies. I hope you celebrate the day by either baking your own blueberry pie or running down to your favorite bakery for a slice. Remember, pie is always best shared.
Michelle says the bigger the blueberry, the sweeter they are. Blueberries don't sweeten after they've been picked. So, make sure to use the biggest, roundest berries from the bunch. It's not quite blueberry season. They're at their prime between June and early September, which is why blueberry pies are best during summer.
Blueberry Pie
Crust:
1 9-inch double-crust pie dough (*see below)
1/2 cup heavy cream (to glaze the top crust and crimped pie edges)
Filling:
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar (or to taste, depending on sweetness of berries; if they are on the tart side, add the extra sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time)
1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
4 cups fresh blueberries, washed, dried, and stemmed
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp salted butter
Preheat oven to 425º F.
To prepare the pie shell, divide the ball of dough in half, setting one half to the side. On a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it forms a 10-inch circle. Fold the circle in half, place it in a 9-inch pie plate so that the edges of the circle drop over the rim, and unfold the dough to completely cover the pie plate. Set the pie shell to the side while you assemble the filling.
To prepare filling, in a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Place blueberries in a large bowl and toss them gently with the sugar mixture, making sure all the berries are coated. Place the berry mixture in the pie shell, distributing it evenly. Evenly sprinkle the lemon juice across the top of the berry filling. Dot the filling with butter.
To prepare top crust, roll out the second half of the dough with a rolling pin until it forms a 10-inch circle. Fold the dough circle in half and place it over the filling, with the straight line of the half circle running down the middle of the pie. Unfold the circle so that the entire pie is covered. Using your thumb and index finger, crimp the edges of the pie together to seal in the filling, and then use a fork to puncture the top of the pie 5 or 6 times. Brush the top of the pie and crimped edges with heavy cream to create a perfect, golden brown finish.
To bake, place the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375º F and continue baking for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the crust is browned and the juice bubble through. Transfer the pie plate to a wire cooling rack and allow the pie to cool and set for 1 1/2 hours before serving.
Blueberry pie is best served either at room temperature or warmed at 350º F for 10 minutes. It will keep at room temperature overnight and can be store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
*9- or 10-inch Double-crust Piecrusts
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp Crisco, cold
5 tbsp ice-cold water, more or less
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Add the Crisco to the flour mixture. Either with a pastry blender or with your fingertips, mix the ingredients together with an up and down chopping motion until the dough forms coarse, pea-sized crumbs. If using the old-fashioned fingertip method, be sure not to over handle the dough. Otherwise it will be too difficult to work with because the butter will be too incorporated with the flour. The perfect rolled-out dough, the Crisco will have a marbleized look, and you will be able to see Crisco swirls within the uncooked dough.
Add the ice-cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, delicately incorporating each tablespoon. Depending on the humidity, you'll add more or less 1 tablespoon. You'll know you've added the right amount of water when the dough forms a ball that easily hold together.
Divide the dough in half. Press each into a disk shape and individually wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling out the dough.
"Agnes Darling, if such should be we never meet again, while firing my last shot, I will gently breathe the name of my wife, Agnes, and with wishes even for my enemies I will make the plunge and try to swim to the other shore." - wild bill hickok
I love the color combination of blue and yellow; it's just so cheerful. Inspired by spicy icecream's boozy lemonade I picked out a bright yellow blazer, strappy turquoise sandals, and a yellow cut-out dress.
This weekend I baked Key lime pie for my cousin's baby shower. Key lime pie happens to be my favorite dessert because I love the combination of sweet and tart. This American dessert originated in Key West, Florida in the late 19th century and is believed to have been created by a local sponge fisherman.
Classic Key lime pie recipes call for sweetened condensed milk, limes, and eggs. In early recipes this pie wasn't baked. A natural chemical reaction called souring occurs between the condensed milk and the acidic lime juice which causes the filling to thicken on its own. The acid essentially 'cooks' the filling to the proper consistency. These days we bake our pies because of safety concerns with eating raw eggs.
Some recipes call for regular limes but I prefer to use key limes which are smaller and more tart. If you've ever bought a grocery store Key lime pie, they tend to be green but that's mostly due to food coloring. A proper Key lime pie filling will be pale yellow because of the egg yolks. I'm visiting my parents in Florida so I was able to pick up a bag of local key limes from the farmer's market. For the crust, you can either buy a pre-made packaged graham cracker crust or use your favorite brand of graham crackers for a simple crust recipe. I prefer to make my graham crackers from scratch (see recipe at bottom of page.) The classic Key lime pie recipe I've included is a delicious and traditional pie that's smooth, creamy, and really sweet. Maybe a tad too sweet for my tastes. So, for Easter I looked for a Key lime pie recipe that didn't use sweetened condensed milk. I found one at Baked Bree which creates a curd-like filling that although slightly different in texture from traditional Key lime pie tastes equally delicious. I also baked a Fresh Strawberry Cream Pie for our family feast because you can never have enough pies.
Classic Key Lime Pie
crust:
1 1/2 cups Graham cracker crumbs (*recipe below)
3 tbsp sugar (optional)
5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
filling:
2 large egg whites
4 egg yolks
1 can (14-oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice
1 tbsp finely grated key lime zest
topping:
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp confectioner's sugar, sifted
Preheat oven to 350º F. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar (if using.) Drizzle with the melted butter and stir until well combined. Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake until set and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Keep oven on.
Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk. Add the lime juice and zest and whisk until combined.
Gently fold in about 1/3 the egg whites to lighten the mixture then add the remaining whites and fold until just evenly combined. Spread the mixture in the pre-baked crust and bake until it just sets in the center, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
To serve, combine the heavy cream and sugar in a bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Cut the pie into slices and top with a dollop of whipped cream.
Nontraditional Key Lime Pie
by Baked Bree
graham cracker crust
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup key lime juice
1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 tsp gelatin, softened in 2 tbsp of water
1 lime zested
whipped cream
In the top of a double boiler (or medium saucepan filled halfway with water and a large metal bowl on top) combine the sugar, eggs, and lime juice.
Whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture starts to thicken. Then, add one piece of butter at a time, whisking constantly until the butter has melted. Keep adding one piece of butter at a time until you have added all the butter. The lime curd will be thick.
Add the softened gelatin (sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons of water until it has dissolved) to the lime mixture.
Strain the lime mixture to ensure a smooth filling.
Add the lime zest to the filling.
Pour filling into the cooled crust. Let chill for at least 3 hours before serving to ensure filling has set. Garnish with whipped cream and extra lime zest before serving.
*Graham Crackers
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tbsp and 2 tsp of mild-flavored honey
2 tbsp and 2 tsp of milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
In a large bowl or food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix or pulse on low to combine. If mixing by hand, cut in the butter with pastry cutter of two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. If using food processor, pulse on and off until mixture reaches coarse meal consistency.
In a small bowl, whisk the honey, milk, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and combine until dough starts to come together. It will be very soft and sticky.
Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface or on plastic wrap and pat into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 2 hours.
Remove from fridge, and on floured surface or plastic wrap, roll out the rectangle until about 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 4x4 inch squares. Place squares on parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 45 minutes.
Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat to 350º F. Prick the squares with toothpick or fork, half-way and not all the way through, in two or more rows. Bake for 25 minutes, or until browned and slightly firm to the touch. Make sure to rotate the baking sheets halfway through for even baking. When the graham cracker squares come out of the oven, they may feel soft or doughy to the touch but they will harden and crisp when completely cooled.
When squares are cooled, place in food processor and pulse until they are crumbed with no lumps.
