Recipe of the Week: Blueberry Crumb Pie

Blueberries are in season in Uruguay, so we’ve been using them to make lots of yummy treats in the last few weeks. I thought I would share one of our favorite blueberry recipes this week, for Blueberry Crumb pie. If you’re like us, this one won’t last long in your house!

Crust Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups flour
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• ¼ cup lard
• ¼ cup butter
• 1/3 cup cold water

Filling Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• 7 tablespoons corn starch
• 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Crumb Topping Ingredients

• ½ cup flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup butter

Directions:

Crust

1. Combine the flour, sugar, butter and lard in a mixing bowl until well blended
2. Sprinkle in the water a little at a time and mix just enough to make it hold together – don’t over mix
3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes
4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface
5. Place the dough into the pie pan (don't worry if it breaks; you can patch it in the pan)
6. Press the dough into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan
7. Seal any broken areas and shape the top edge into a pattern if you like

Filling

1. Preheat oven to 190° C (375° F)
2. Rinse blueberries in a colander, removing stems and mushy berries
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, corn starch and cinnamon, and mix well
4. Add lemon juice and water and mix well
5. Add the blueberries to the pie crust (if they are taller than the pan, it’s okay – they’ll cook down)
6. Pour the liquid mix over the berries

Crumb Topping

1. Mix the sugar, butter and flour in a bowl
2. Sprinkle mixture over the berries   
3. Place pie in oven and bake for one hour
4. The pie should be bubbling and golden brown; if not cook for 3-4 more minutes and check again
5. Serve warm with a heaping scoop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Tips and modifications:

1. Pie will keep for 1 week in refrigerator
2. You can find a recipe for whipped cream in The Expat Cookbook, which is on sale for 50% off through the end of 2009