BLUEBERRY PIE MONDAY

Blueberry Pie
Crust for a 9-inch double-crust pie:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 tablespoons cold shortening, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
6 tablespoons ice water

1. Stir the flour, salt, and sugar together in a bowl. Add the butter and shortening pieces and coat with the flour mixture using a bench scraper or spatula. 
2. With a pastry blender, cut the butter/shortening into the flour mixture, working quickly and mostly pea-size pieces of butter/shortening remain ( a few larger pieces are okay, be careful not to over-blend). 
3. Sprinkle ice water over the flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix and cut it in with a spatula until it is full incorporated and until the dough comes together in a ball, with some dry bits remaining (approx. 6 tablespoons ice water total). 
4. Squeeze and pinch with your fingertips to bring all the dough together, sprinkling dry bits with more small drops of the ice water, if necessary, to combine.
5. Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, to give the crust time to mellow. 
6. Wrapped tightly, the dough can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 1 month. 

For the filling: 

1 small baking apple

5 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen, if frozen do not thaw)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons ground arrowroot

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Egg wash (1 large egg whisked with 1 teaspoon cream)

Demerara sugar, for finishing

1. Have ready and refrigerated one pastry-lined 9-inch pie pan and pastry round or lattice to top. 
2. Peel and then shred the apple on the large holes of a box grater. 
3. Combine with the blueberries, lemon zest and juice, granulated and brown sugars, arrowroot, allspice, salt, and bitters in a large bowl and stir until well mixed, crushing some of the blueberries in the process (use hands for this). 
4. Pour the filling into the refrigerated pie shell, arrange the lattice or pastry round on top, and crimp as desired.
5. Chill the pie in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to set the pastry. 
6. Meanwhile, position the oven racks in the bottom and center positions, place a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack, and preheat the oven to 425º F. 
7. Brush the pastry with the egg wash to coat; if your pie has a lattice top, be careful not to drag the filling onto the pastry (it will burn). 
8. Sprinkle with the desired around of Demerara sugar.
9. Place the pie on the rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven. 
10. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is set and beginning to brown. 
11. Lower the temperature to 375º F, move the pie to the center oven rack, and continue to bake until the pastry is a deep golden brown and the juice are bubbling thought, 30 to 35 minutes longer. 
12. Cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve warm or at room temperature. The pie will keep refrigerated for 3 days or at room temperature for 2 days.