Blueberry (Kinda/ Kinda Not) Pie

You know me, I’m not getting fussy unless I need to. Mark my words, THIS is the pie of the season- it’s pie, only it’s NOT. It’s so much easier, so much more textural, so much more joyful and tasty, and so happy to look at. It’s all the best parts of pie- brilliant bursts of fruit! sandy, buttery top and bottom bites! an excuse to do a mondo dollop of sweet cream! the excuse to sit at the table and laugh a little bit longer! We need a fast track to more of the good stuff and this Blueberry (Not) Pie is it. 

Happy bright, cherry bites of life, Bake Club!

9-inch Sizing

Use a cake pan, a springform pan, heck you can even make it square in an 8x8-inch pan. Make it taller in a 6-inch round or a tad shorter with larger diameters. Make invidivid-ies in cupcake pans or tart shells. Adjust the time (less baking for smaller sizes), as needed.

Vegetable Oil

The oil in this recipe gives your pie a perfectly sandy texture. I use vegetable oil so the butter and blueberry moments can sing, but bring olive oil into the mix for a fun edge, or pistachio, pumpkin seed or any other flavor or color of oil that tells your flavor story!

Blueberries

Taste those berries- if yours are already pretty sweet, you may not need as much sugar, or alternatively if yours are still quite tart, maybe an extra tablespoon or two.

If blues aren’t part of your vision, this recipe rocks for any baked fruit pie for which you’re jonesing. Raspberry! Blackberry! Peach! Cherry! You can even do a combo, if you like.

Seasonality, Spice & Savory 

This move, and therefore the filling will carry you through EVERY season imaginable, especially fall and winter! Swap the lighter spring and summer fruits for heartier ones, and feel free to add some spice both to the sugar that tops the fruit, and the dry ingredients that make up both the crust bottom and the crumb top- cinnamon, ginger, the tiniest bit of nutmeg. And you know I’ll support you if you want to get even more wild than that- black pepper, curry powder, etc. I cold see a savory tomato-bacon pie rocking, or a low fi shepherd's pie crushing, too- let your taste buds and instincts be your guide, as always!

Sweet Cream

I come from a VERY long lineage of sour-cream-with-my-blueberry pie people. I swear by whisking 1 Tablespoon of confectioner’s sugar into 1 cup sour cream before dolloping. If you want to meet me half way, whip 1 cup heavy cream to soft peaks, then mix in ¼ cup sour cream and 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar, or if you’re an all whipped cream kitchen- 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar, pinch salt, maybe even a splash of vanilla extract or some lemon zest to make it fancy.

And if billow creamy moments aren’t your thing, you can always opt for a glaze. Mix 1 tablespoon milk into 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar until smooth, then drizzle atop!

Blueberry (Kinda/ Kinda Not) Pie 

Makes one 9-inch round, serves 10-12

1 stick butter, melted, still warm

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons light brown sugar

1 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 pint blueberries

½ cup sugar

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a lined sheetpan and cake ring (or  line and grease an 9-inch cake pan or springform pan)

2. In a medium bowl stir together the warm melted butter and oil with the sugars, mixing until well combined. Stir in the flour and salt and mix just until combined and tender clusters of crumbs form. 

3. Using your hands, press 1 ¼ cups of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, smooshing to make an even layer that fills to the corners. Set the remaining mixture to the side for the top. 

4. Scatter the blueberries atop this crust, then sprinkle the sugar atop the blueberries.

5. Scatter (don’t press) the remaining crumbs on top of the sugared fruit to make a loose, crummy top layer.

6. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes, until the crumb topping is golden brown (think the color of your favorite pie crust once baked) and the blueberries have cooked down with the sugar and start to bubble over the top of some of the crumbs. Serve warm, serve cold, your call!